5 Players who got more than they deserved in BCCI annual contract list

5. Kedar Jadhav

A brilliant cricketer with a fantastic domestic record who has got a chance in the international arena at a relatively later stage in his career, Kedar Jadhav has been roped in to play a finisher’s role. Though Jadhav has not done much wrong and got very few opportunities to bat, the jury is still out on him. The main problem with him is that there is confusion about his role as he might be better suited to batting higher up the order.

The other problem is whether India can afford to play a pure batsman at No.6 who just could slip in a few overs because most teams prefer an all-rounder in that position. There is a strong belief that Jadhav is playing a stop-gap role at the moment but he might not be the best option in the long run. Once Hardik Pandya gets fit, Jadhav won’t feature in India’s plans in LOIs.

It’s a matter of luck for Jadhav to be awarded a player’s contract by the BCCI, they have offered him a Grade C contract. KJ is neither a short-term nor is he a long-term solution. India must move on from these quick fix players and invest in more young talent. As there is enough talent waiting to get into the Indian team, it’s about time ageing players who don’t have much to offer move on or are asked to move on.