Jadeja returns to where he first shone

Banned from the previous IPL after being accused of trying to negotiate with another team while still being contracted to Rajasthan Royals, Ravindra Jadeja has had a wait too long. And this IPL could well decide the Saurashtra player's future.

Banned from the previous IPL after being accused of trying to negotiate with another team while still being contracted to Rajasthan Royals, Ravindra Jadeja has had a wait too long. And this IPL could well decide the Saurashtra player's future.

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A key member of the India team that won the under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008, Jadeja was bought by Rajasthan for only $30,000 (approximately Rs 13.26 lakh). He showed promise with gutsy knocks and his slow left-arm bowling, helping Rajasthan Royals win the inaugural IPL and even prompting Shane Warne to single him out as a 'star in the making'.

In the next one year however, Jadeja was pulled down to earth with a slew of failed opportunities marked by slow starts. Since then, Jadeja has had mixed fortunes in the domestic circuit. This time, Jadeja has been bought by Kochi for a whopping $950,000 (about Rs 4.19 crore). Tuskers coach Geoff Lawson didn't look pleased when the figure was mentioned at the mandatory pre-match media briefing. "Jadeja has that killer instinct and I quite like that," Lawson said.