Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav is an attacking middle-order batsman from Maharashtra who came into the limelight with a 29-ball 50 for Delhi Daredevils on his IPL debut. He scored six fifties and one century during the 2008-09 first-class season and those who have seen him bat for Maharashtra rate him as a natural Twenty20 player. Initially a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore development squad, he was drafted in by Delhi, for whom his innings against Bangalore was a shot in the arm in a struggling season. He eventually returned to the Bangalore franchise in 2016.

In the Ranji Trophy, he made a name for himself in 2013-14, finishing as the season's highest run-getter with 1223 runs including six centuries. He was one of the few bright spots in Daredevils' failed campaign in 2014 and his fulfilling season earned him an India call-up for the Bangladesh ODIs in June 2014. But he didn't make his debut till November that year, slotting in at No. 6 against Sri Lanka. His next two stints in the ODI squad were tours to Zimbabwe, one in July 2015 - where he scored an unbeaten century - and one in June 2016, where he didn't get to bat during any of India's three chases. This sporadic relation with the Indian team was finally cut short when he featured in all five ODIs against New Zealand at home in October 2016. His performances as the last recognized batsman in a team playing five bowlers - along with a newly-adopted skill in offspin - earned him a call up for the England series in January 2017, along with a semblance of security as an Indian player.
ESPNcricinfo staff