First impressions can, sometimes, be misleading. When N. Jagadeesan burst on to the Tamil Nadu cricket scene as an angry young man following a fiery altercation with a rival bowler in a televised TNPL match four years ago, not many would have thought the boy would evolve into one of the most affable cricketers the state has produced.
The Coimbatore youngster not only changed perceptions swiftly by shedding the negative image, but also let his bat do the talking by emerging as the best performer of the inaugural edition. He is the most consistent performer of the franchisee league having recently completed 1,000 runs representing Dindigul Dragons.
The on-field scuffle notwithstanding, Jagadeesan's stakes skyrocketed in TN cricket. He worked his way into the state Ranji trophy side, slammed a century on debut and soon found himself amidst the galaxy of stars in the Chennai Super Kings dugout.
The 23-year-old who has been touted as the next big thing in TN cricket continues to raise the bar. On Friday, Jagadeesan produced yet another stellar knock, slamming a hundred against Trichy Warriors to carry Dindigul Dragons into the play-offs. His unconquered knock, in fact, put M. Vijay's performance (99 runs) to shade. Jagadeesan currently leads the TNPL season's run-tally with 340 runs.
The IPL stint with Chennai Super Kings helped Jagadeesan rub shoulders with the likes of M.S. Dhoni and Mike Hussey and learn how to cope with pressure. “There are a lot of things you can learn when you are there with legends like Dhoni, Hussey and Suresh Raina. When you're part of CSK team, you get to learn how you can cope with challenging situations,” said Jagadeesan, the only player to score more than 1000 runs in TNPL history.
A wicket-keeper batsman, Jagadeesan feels blessed to have spent quality time with Dhoni in a bid to improve his game.
“Dhoni is always up for a conversation and if I have a doubt about wicketkeeping he is ready to help me. The way Dhoni effects stumpings is amazing. I would like to be as fast as MSD and not only that when it comes to batting I'd love to finish the game like him,” Jagadeesan said.
If it's Dhoni who is mentoring the youngster in CSK, it's Ashwin in Dindigul Dragons. “Ashwin is very innovative when it comes to captaincy. At the same time, he is someone who encourages a lot and you know, it is also having a captain of his stature is a big boost for the whole team. So, having him in the middle is always good because no matter what kind of situation or pressure it is, because he is always there to guide all the youngsters,” Jagadeesan said.
As TN cricket is dominated by players from Chennai, Jagadeesan's sensational rise from Coimbatore has given hopes to cricketers from districts. A slew of youngsters has already followed in the footsteps of Jagadeesan.
