Being released by IPL team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the auction did not crush N. Jagadeesan’s morale. On the contrary, it helped Jagadeesan rediscover his love for the game.
Jagadeesan is now in the form of his life, having struck four hundreds and a double century in his last five Vijay Hazare Trophy outings here.
After his record-breaking 277 against Arunachal Pradesh here on Monday, Jagadeesan spoke about some sage advice given by his CSK skipper M.S. Dhoni.
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“Getting released by CSK was an eye opener for me…. At some point, you feel the pressure by focusing purely on runs, runs and runs. My main focus now is to just enjoy my game. This (advice) came from Dhoni. When I made my CSK debut, this was the only thing Dhoni told me - ‘Make sure you enjoy your game’. For example, when I was playing under-13 cricket, I wasn’t looking at playing for India or Tamil Nadu. It was just about the enjoyment I got from playing cricket,” Jagadeesan said.
The opener credited Tamil Nadu assistant coach R. Prasanna for keeping him in a good mental space. “A lot of credit goes to Prasanna. He is also the coach of my league team. He was always there for me; he knew my mindset,” Jagadeesan said.
Timely tips provided by Dinesh Karthik and Abhinav Mukund also went a long way. “Last year, Abhinav Mukund helped me a lot by speaking to me before the (2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy) quarterfinal against Karnataka.
Dinesh Karthik also speaks to me. Both Dinesh and Mukund motivate me and give me mental tips,” Jagadeesan said.
On the prospect of gaining an IPL contract, Jagadeesan said, “When I got released by CSK, it was their choice, not mine. The only thing I can control is the way I play. Whether I get picked or not, it does not matter. Even if I don’t get picked, my mindset is that I will get a solid three months to improve my game and come back a better cricketer.”
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