Veteran all-rounder Kedar Jadhav is all set to put the auction floor on fire when all franchises meet to finalise their squads for IPL 2021. The mini-auction ahead of the 14th edition of IPL will take place in Chennai on February 18 amid the Test series between India and England.
After blowing hot and cold in the last two seasons in the yellow jersey, Chennai Super Kings released the all-rounder ahead of the next season of cash-rich competition. Incidentally, Kedar Jadhav was roped in by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2018 IPL for a whopping sum of Rs 7.8 crore.
He played only the opening match scoring 24 runs before being ruled out of the entire tournament owing to a hamstring injury. In the next season, Jadhav managed to score 162 runs before missing the playoffs. The all-rounder was available for the whole 2021 edition but had to be benched for his poor performances. The 35-year-old managed 62 runs from eight outings with the highest score of 26 at a strike rate of 93.93.
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However, Kedar Jadhav showed some signs of finding form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he scored 193 runs in 5 games at a strike rate of 133.1 which can incite bidding wars at the auction room. On that note, we take a look at the teams that can bid for the veteran all-rounder.
3 teams that can bid for Kedar Jadhav in IPL 2021 auction:
3. Kings XI Punjab
The KL Rahul-led side struggled throughout IPL 2020 due to the lack of an experienced India all-rounder in their ranks in the UAE. The likes of Glenn Maxwell and Jimmy Neesham failed to provide stability in the batting-order.
However, Kings XI Punjab have freed up some space letting them go ahead of the IPL 2021 auction. The franchise coached by Anil Kumble potentially go for an overseas player and an Indian batsman to fill the vacant slots and Kedhar Jadhav can be a perfect pick for the Kings XI.
Jadhav can also be a decent option with his off-spin giving the skipper en extra option when things go against their plan. It will be interesting to see if Punjab rope in the all-rounder from Maharashtra.
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad
The franchise from the south is one of the most consistent sides in the history of IPL. They have almost retained their core group of players – 22 going ahead into the IPL 2021 auction. However, they will look for an experienced finisher in their middle-order.
The likes of Abdul Samad, Priyam Garg, and Abhishek Sharma showed a lot of potential in IPL 2020 but lacked experience where Kedar Jadhav’s experience will come in handy for the franchise. VIjay Shankar has some experience under his belt but he is yet to find his golden touch.
Thus, Jadhav can provide the much-needed impetus in the Sunrisers Hyderabad middle-order and can also don the hat of the sixth bowling option.
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Along with their bowling, Bangalore have always struggled due to lack of depth in their batting order. After the departure of skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, their batting looks wide open with any attack having the ability to run down their ranks.
The franchise had pinned high hopes on young all-rounder Shivam Dube but he failed to live up to the expectations. This is where Kedar Jadhav can come in handy for the Royal Challengers. With a significant amount of experience under his belt, the all-rounder from Maharashtra can provide stability in the batting-order even after Kohli and AB de Villiers’ dismissal and can play the long handles in the death overs.
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Jadhav’s utility comes in handy as he also dons the hat of the sixth bowler with his effective side-arm off-spin. Kohli will certainly have his eyes on the veteran all-rounder when his name comes out of the hat.