New Delhi [India], August 27 : Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter N Jagadeesan, who was included in India's squad for the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, revealed that during his stint with five-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), former top-order batter Robin Uthappa taught him many things apart from the batting aspect of the game.
Jagadeesan connected with Uthappa, his mentor, after being teammates at CSK from 2020 to 2022. Even with the presence of MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and several mainstays, the 29-year-old revealed that it was Uthappa who taught him how to ride the lows and maintain a calm demeanour in the wake of setbacks.
"Robin has given me more discipline as to how I need to approach each and every session. Robin has taught me many things and made me calm and feel secure, not just as a cricketer, but has made me feel secure as an individual and stay in the present. When it comes to batting, Guru sir [AG Guruswamy] and Narasimha [both coaches in Tamil Nadu] have helped me," Jagadeesan told ESPNcricinfo.
Jagadeesan frames his various jerseys and hangs them up on the wall at his home in Coimbatore. His father left a frame vacant and reserved it for years for his son's India jersey. Jagadeesan fulfilled his father's dream after being included in the fifth Test at The Oval against England. He remained a part of India's fabled six-run triumph even though he was a reserve player.
"The India jersey is now going into the frame, and I hope that I keep getting a lot more. To be part of a match that was so intense and thrilling made it even more special. For us to go and win the game from a situation where a lot [of people] might not have expected us to, it was really special. It was definitely a moment that gave me goosebumps," he added.
He earned his call-up after hammering a staggering 1,490 runs in 26 innings at an average of nearly 65. Only Karun Nair, who returned to India's Test fold after eight years, has scored more runs (1553) than Jagadeesan across the previous two Ranji seasons, among batters from the Elite Group.