Asia Cup | I feel my fitness has improved after my surgery, reveals Kedar Jadhav

Indian all-rounder, Kedar Jadhav, was the star of the show last night as he wrecked havoc in the Pakistan middle-order en route to India’s convincing eight-wicket win. Jadhav, who made his return to the Indian setup after recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the early stages of the IPL, was clinical with the ball and ended the match with career-best figures of 3/23 from nine overs.

Aged 33, Jadhav was a late bloomer and earned his first call-up in 2014. Initially, he came into the team as a middle-order batsman, but under former captain MS Dhoni’s guidance, Jadhav has emerged as a wicket-taking threat as well in recent years. 

The CSK player has revealed that a recent change in his fitness routine after he underwent surgery on the hamstring injury has helped him reach a whole new level of physical prowess, which showed in yesterday’s all-round performance.

“I feel my fitness has improved after my surgery, and in the last four months I have learnt a lot about training and fitness. It has definitely helped me and has made me a different cricketer.

“Every time I did my rehab previously, I used to start playing, (thinking) that the problems won't come back again. Many a time I also used to miss my routine, but now, regardless of how I feel, I start my day with either gym or running. That gives me confidence that I'm getting stronger and fitter every day, and that helps me on the field,” said Jadhav, reported PTI sources.

Since Dhoni first used him as a surprise option during an ODI against New Zealand in 2016, the Pandharpur-born player has racked up a total of 19 wickets. However, Jadhav quickly admitted that he hasn't been working on his bowling at all, as he feared that it might hamper his natural style of spin bowling.

“I don’t bowl much in the nets. Honestly, I just bowl a couple of overs in the practice session before a match. I think if I try and work on my bowling in the net sessions, then whatever is there … it might get broken. So I stay in my limit,” Jadhav added.