MS Dhoni knows how to get the best out of every player, claims Kedar Jadhav

Indian all-rounder Kedar Jadhav has come a long way since he starred for the Maharashtra Ranji team back in 2014 when he scored a record 1223 runs in a season that helped Maharashtra lift the cup for the first time since 1992-93. Jadhav was soon handed his first national call-up that year when he played against Sri Lanka, but could not make any mark as such. And it was only in January last year that his 120-run knock off 76 balls versus England eventually helped him cement his place in the Indian middle-order.

Jadhav has played 40 ODIs so far, scoring 798 runs at an average of 39.9 and has also taken 16 wickets. And he has credited former the Indian captain for helping him make a smooth transition into the national team while also allowing him to express himself freely on and off the pitch. 

“So, again playing under him (MS Dhoni) for CSK I am sure I will express myself in ways that I have never done before as his presence gives me immense confidence. He allows a player to express himself and supports a player in every possible way. He knows how to get the best out of every player, that’s his biggest quality,” Jadhav said in an interview with Indian Express.

Jadhav’s bowling skills were previously unknown to outsiders, but it was only after Dhoni’s insistence that the Maharashtra-lad really began work on his bowling action and since then, the results have been fantastic.

"I firmly believe that I became a different player after Dhoni bhai asked me to bowl in international cricket. I hadn’t even dreamt until then that I could bowl and pick wickets for India,” Jadhav said.

Jadhav, who has previously played for the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and the Kochi Tuskers Kerala, was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings franchise at this year’s mega-auction for a huge sum of Rs. 7.8 crore. The 32-year old cricketer will team up with Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo under the leadership of CSK skipper MS Dhoni in this year’s IPL.

The Indian Premier League 2018 will kick off from April 7 with CSK taking on defending champions Mumbai Indians in the season opener.