How CSK re-integrated Jadeja into their side

 A series of pictures have surfaced on social media from Chennai Super Kings' pre-IPL 2023 camp at Chepauk and Ravindra Jadeja features in quite a few of them. Those pictures speak a thousand words about how easily Jadeja appears to have been re-integrated into the team. But a thousand and more words were spoken and heard before all became hunky dory for the India all-rounder and the four-time league champions.

Those privy to the turn of events in the CSK camp confide to us that Jadeja, who had reportedly walked out of the team hotel during the later stages of last season in Mumbai, had a long, frank chat with captain MS Dhoni, the most important man in the franchise. He also had a one-on-one with CEO Kasi Viswanathan before the 'air of misunderstanding' was cleared. Viswanathan refused to divulge details of his conversation but he did confirm that all parties had free, frank and long conversations.

Although no one in the CSK camp was willing to discuss what transpired in the two one-on-one sessions, it is understood that Jadeja was upset for a couple of factors - that the captaincy was taken away from him and that he was not also not able to perform to his best. In the 10 games he played last season, he scored 116 runs at an average of 19 and claimed five wickets at an economy rate of 7.52, numbers that don't flatter one of the best all-rounders in the game currently.

Dhoni's comment on his captaincy also may have peeved him. "I think Jadeja knew last season he'd be captaining this year. For the first two games, I oversaw his work and let him be later. After that, I insisted he'd take his own decisions and responsibility for them. Once you become captain, it means a lot of demands come in. But it affected his mind as the tasks grew. I think captaincy burdened his prep and performances," Dhoni had said after a game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 1.

Eventually, it was explained to him that the captaincy may have been burdening him and that it affected his performance. The all-rounder, it is learnt, understood the situation. Jadeja, who was in Chennai for the third and final ODI against Australia on March 22, stayed back in the city and joined the CSK camp the next day.

"Jaddu is fine, he is happy to be back with the team and is very keen to do well. He is looking forward to the season," a CSK official told us on Saturday (March 25). CSK will start their campaign against defending champions Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on March 31, the season-opener.

In other news from Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajat Patidar, a key batter for the Faf du Plessis-led side, has not been released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for IPL duty. The 29-year-old is nursing a heel injury and is undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

The franchise, which started the camp only on Friday, is coordinating with the BCCI and NCA and its officials and executives could not immediately confirm how long the Madhya Pradesh batsman, who scored a timely century in the Eliminator last year, will be kept away from the side. Royal Challengers Bangalore start their campaign at home against Mumbai Indians on April 2.




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