“I thought of packing bags and going home from CSK camp,” N Jagadeesan opens up about his low days

After CSK released him back in the auction pool, he thought of never returning to the cash-rich league in the 2023 season.


“I thought of packing bags and going home from CSK camp,” N Jagadeesan opens up about his low days

N Jagadeesan

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player N Jagadeesan shared how he felt like going home from CSK camp because of not getting enough chances to play. After CSK released him back in the auction pool, he thought of never returning for the next season. He thought no franchise will buy him as an opener whose strike rate is 118.61 in T20 format. He wanted to play the next summer in the UK to play league cricket.

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But he did put his name for the auction and the Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for INR 90 lakh. As KKR was searching for a wicket-keeper and Jagadeesan, who happens to be a wicket-keeper, can get enough chances to feature in the XI. MS Dhoni in CSK meant there was no way Jagadeesan would be handed the gloves.

Jagadeesan was part of the yellow franchise since 2018 but played only seven matches for them. In the 2020 season, which was forgetful for the four-time champions, Jagadeesan played only twice in five games. In the 2022 season, after staying in the bio-bubble environment and not playing many games, Jagadeesan felt at one point to pack his bags and go home. He played two matches in the 2022 season, scoring 39* and 1 in the two innings.

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After CSK released him, N Jagadeesan accepted the fact and started working to improve his game

N Jagadeesan
N Jagadeesan

Jagadeesan’s last domestic season was a forgetful one. But he bounced back in 2022 and went on to break records in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored five consecutive centuries. Though he entered the auction pool and his name was short-listed, Jadadeesan was still apprehensive until he signed INR 90 lakh with the KKR.

It is definitely very hard,” Jagadeesan told The Indian Express about the days when he had to spend the time on bench. “There were times I felt really low. To be honest, I have even thought of packing the bags and going home. The only thing that kept me motivated was to keep working so that you get a game. When I was not playing, I thought this is the time you can mentally push yourself, you can’t let your mind drift away. When you are down, work harder,” he added.

Jageseean knew he won’t get any chances until the team does badly. As he didn’t want to waste his time and “not get stagnant and be thrown away“, it was “definetely hard. But it was self-motivating.” He realized he had to accept the fact and make peace with it, which took the pressure off him.

Last IPL season and the previous one in Dubai, I told myself that ‘it is ok not to play any matches, but make sure you work the most at the gym, at a net session…give full effort in the nets’ and leave the rest to others,” Jagadeesan added.

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