IPL 2022 Auction: 3 teams that will target Kedar Jadhav

At 36 years of age, Kedar Jadhav's cricketing career has almost reached its twilight, whether internationally or in the IPL.

After being acquired for a massive INR 7.8 crores in the IPL 2018 auction, the all-rounder couldn't manage to put up a satisfactory performance for the Chennai Super Kings in the three years he represented the team. Owing to his downfall, he was released from the franchise ahead of IPL 2021.

Kedar Jadhav was then bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for his base price of INR 2 crore in the IPL 2021 auction. The all-rounder played a total of six games for the Orange Army but failed to leave a mark once again. He scored a meagre 55 runs at a strike rate of 105.76 and didn't bowl a single over in the tournament.

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Teams that can sign Kedar Jadhav for IPL 2022

Even though Kedar Jadhav doesn't seem to have too much cricket left in him, he remains one of the most experienced campaigners out there. With a rich experience of representing India in 73 ODIs and nine T20Is, the all-rounder has a plethora of knowledge that he can share with upcoming young cricketers.

On that note, we look at three IPL franchises that can bid for the veteran during the IPL 2022 mega auction.

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#1 Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals may look to sign Kedar Jadhav for his rich experience

The Jaipur-based franchise has conventionally been heavily dependent on the performance of their top three batsmen. While they look to slot in some big hitters in their middle-order, they might also turn their eye to Kedar Jadhav to stabilize their batting in case of a top-order collapse.

Signing Jadhav could also give Rajasthan Royals an extra bowling option during the competition.

Having played 93 IPL matches so far, Kedar Jadhav is one of the most experienced cricketers available in the auction pool. Even if it is just to mentor youngsters with his vast experience, Rajasthan might certainly be excited to sign the all-rounder for IPL 2022.

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#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB got the best out of Kedar Jadhav in IPL 2017

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have had a peculiar record with their players in the IPL. The team has seen many of their former players perform brilliantly as soon as they move to a different franchise. However, there have also been instances where players went full throttle as soon as they signed up for RCB.

Kedar Jadhav represented the Bangalore-based franchise back in 2017 where he played his best ever IPL season. The all-rounder played 13 games and scored over 267 runs at a strike rate of 143.54.

Even though he didn't bowl a single over, RCB could potentially hope to sign him up for the 2022 season once again and use him as a sixth bowling option in the XI besides making use of his ability to strike a few blows down the order.

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#3 Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings struggled with their middle order in IPL 2021

Having released Shahrukh Khan ahead of the 2022 season, the Punjab Kings will look to bolster their middle order during the IPL 2022 mega auction. Considering they struggled heavily in 2021 once their top order returned to the dugout, PBKS will be keen to explore options to stop a batting collapse going forward.

Kedar Jhadav might just be the perfect option for the Mohali-based franchise to plug in their loopholes from previous seasons. With the experience of 93 IPL games, Jhadav can be a valuable addition to the PBKS squad and can contribute immensely to the scoreboard on his day.