8:17 PM
Editor
Ravindra Jadeja has had a long and rocky journey in the IPL. The year 2011 has seen Jadeja make a fresh start with his $950,000 move to IPL newcomers Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
The Saurashtra all-rounder hasn't disappointed so far this season scoring 216 runs from eight games at a strike-rate of 131.7 - the highest for KTK. He's also the second-highest wicket-taker for the side with six scalps.
Just 22, he still has plenty to offer to Indian cricket but for the time being his focus is only IPL. "I have been working on my game keeping in mind the T20 format. I have been concentrating on using the long handle effectively and trying to find areas where I can score boundaries regularly," Jadeja told TOI on Monday.
"I am making an effort not to go for too many unconventional strokes. I am not comfortable with them and if cricketing shots can get me the desired runs I don't need to resort to reverse sweeps," he added.
The KTK all-rounder has represented India in nine T20 games but his poor strike-rate of just 86 had drawn severe criticism during the World T20 Championships in England in 2009.
"I have worked very hard in the gym over the last few months. I was at home during the World Cup and utilized that time by improving on my upper-body strength which is important in international cricket," Jadeja said.
The difference is starting to show in his game as Jadeja has already clobbered 12 sixes in this tournament - once again the most by a KTK batsman, more than even Brendon McCullum.
The youngster though is disappointed by the lack of home support in Kochi. "The first couple of matches saw good turnouts in Kochi. But since then it has been sparse, probably because people there don't love and understand cricket."
The Saurashtra all-rounder hasn't disappointed so far this season scoring 216 runs from eight games at a strike-rate of 131.7 - the highest for KTK. He's also the second-highest wicket-taker for the side with six scalps.
Just 22, he still has plenty to offer to Indian cricket but for the time being his focus is only IPL. "I have been working on my game keeping in mind the T20 format. I have been concentrating on using the long handle effectively and trying to find areas where I can score boundaries regularly," Jadeja told TOI on Monday.
"I am making an effort not to go for too many unconventional strokes. I am not comfortable with them and if cricketing shots can get me the desired runs I don't need to resort to reverse sweeps," he added.
The KTK all-rounder has represented India in nine T20 games but his poor strike-rate of just 86 had drawn severe criticism during the World T20 Championships in England in 2009.
"I have worked very hard in the gym over the last few months. I was at home during the World Cup and utilized that time by improving on my upper-body strength which is important in international cricket," Jadeja said.
The difference is starting to show in his game as Jadeja has already clobbered 12 sixes in this tournament - once again the most by a KTK batsman, more than even Brendon McCullum.
The youngster though is disappointed by the lack of home support in Kochi. "The first couple of matches saw good turnouts in Kochi. But since then it has been sparse, probably because people there don't love and understand cricket."
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