Former Chennai Super Kings all-rounder joins BJP in Mumbai
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricketer Kedar Jadhav embarked on a new journey by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, April 8, in Mumbai. The ex-India star was inducted into the party at their headquarters in Nariman Point.
Jadhav, who represented Maharashtra in the domestic circuit, joined the BJP in the presence of the party's state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and senior leader Ashok Chavan.
After stepping into politics, Kedar Jadhav said to reporters (via TOI):
"I bow down to Chhatrapati Shivaji. Under (PM, Narendra) Modi ji and (Maharashtra) CM (Devendra) Fadnavis. The BJP is doing politics of development. With this said, I under Bawankule enter and join the BJP."
Bawankule was also ecstatic to have Jadhav join the party. He believes the former cricketer will inspire the young generation to participate in the country's development.
"It's a day of happiness for us. In all spheres of life, he has had an impact. I welcome him home," Bawankule said.
"He is a fine human being and a good cricketer. He is here for Modi ji and for a Viksit Bharat. He has many fans, people like him are strengthening our party. I truly thank him. He is a national icon with several fans and followers. He said he will inspire the youth, who will also want to join our party," he added.
Let's take a look at Kedar Jadhav's cricketing career in a glimpse
Kedar Jadhav, known for his attacking approach in the middle overs, made his international debut in 2014 during an ODI series against Sri Lanka. He played 73 ODIs for India, scoring 1389 runs at an average of 42.09, including two centuries and six fifties. He was also part of India's 2019 ODI World Cup squad.
The 40-year-old cricketer also played nine T20Is for the Men in Blue, aggregating 122 runs, including a fifty.
Jadhav represented five teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), namely Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, SunRisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, and now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala. He scored 1208 runs in 95 matches, including four half-centuries, in the T20 league.