Former Indian cricketer Kedar Jadhav has ventured into politics, officially joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday afternoon. The 40-year-old marked the beginning of his political career at the BJP headquarters in Nariman Point. Jadhav, who represented Maharashtra in domestic cricket and played for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, was inducted into the party in the presence of BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and senior leader Ashok Chavan.

The 40-year-old cricketer hails from Pune, Maharashtra. Throughout his career, the dynamic all-rounder featured in 73 One Day Internationals (ODIs), amassing 1,389 runs at an impressive average of 42.09. He also contributed with the ball, claiming 27 wickets in ODIs. In T20 Internationals, Jadhav played 9 matches and scored 122 runs. However, he never had the chance to represent India in Test cricket.

"I bow down to Chhatrapati Shivaji. Under (PM, Narendra) Modi ji and (Maharashtra) CM (Devendra) Fadnavis. The BJP is doing politics of development. With this said, I under Bawankule enter and join the BJP," Kedar Jadhav said after joining the BJP, India TV reported.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed his delight over the former Indian cricketer's decision to join the party. "It's a day of happiness for us. In all spheres of life, he has had an impact. I welcome him home. Besides him, several other people have also joined us from Hingoli and Nanded," Bawankule said.

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Several Cricketers have entered politics in the past

Before all-rounder Kedar Jadhav entered politics, several cricketers had already made the transition into the political arena. Navjot Singh Sidhu in Punjab, Yusuf Pathan, and West Bengal’s Sports Minister Manoj Tiwary are among those who have successfully ventured into politics. Former India opener and current head coach Gautam Gambhir also joined the BJP and won elections in Delhi but later stepped away from politics to focus on coaching.

Meanwhile, Yusuf Pathan joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baharampur in West Bengal. He achieved a notable victory, defeating senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury by a margin of 85,022 votes in a constituency traditionally considered a Congress stronghold.