Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Former Indian cricketer Kedar Jadhav officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai on Tuesday, in the presence of Maharashtra state BJP president and cabinet minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
Speaking to media after his induction into the party, Jadhav praised the BJP’s leadership and public support since coming to power in 2014. He said he draws inspiration from the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“Since 2014, when the BJP government came to power at the centre, the kind of love and support they have received and the kind of achievements PM Modi and CM Devendra Fadnavis have done, I think this is very inspirational and my aim is to follow their footsteps and make whatever small contribution I can for BJP. Whatever responsibility I get, I am fully confident that I will try to do it with full honesty…” Jadhav said.
Jadhav, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in June 2024 at the age of 39, had a notable career representing India. He played 73 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and nine T20 Internationals (T20Is) since his debut in 2014.
His international debut came in a series against Bangladesh in June 2014, but he had to wait until a home series against Sri Lanka in November of the same year to make his first appearance on the field.
In ODIs, Jadhav scored 1,389 runs across 52 innings at an impressive average of 42.09 and a strike rate of 101.60. His record includes two centuries and six half-centuries, with a top score of 120. He also took 27 wickets, with best bowling figures of 3/23.
In T20Is, he accumulated 122 runs at an average of 20.33 with a strike rate of 123.23, including one fifty.
At the domestic level, Jadhav made headlines with a triple century in the 2012 Ranji Trophy, playing for Maharashtra against Uttar Pradesh. He followed this up with a stellar 2013–14 season, scoring 1,223 runs with six centuries, becoming Maharashtra’s second-highest run-getter.
Jadhav’s transition into politics marks a new chapter in his public life as he aims to contribute to the BJP and serve the people beyond the cricket field.