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Jadeja credits IPL for India call up

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January 18, 2009 18:00 IST

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja credited the Indian Premier League for giving him the platform that fetched him a call up to the national squad for the upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka.

"The IPL was a great platform for young players like him," said Jadeja, who turned out for the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural edition of the tournament.

The all-rounder from Jamnagar, Saurashtra, ruled out the pressure factor and said he would concentrate doing his job if selected to the first XI.

"If I am selected for the India team I will try to give off my best," Jadeja told PTI.

"It is a great moment for me to be selected to the national squad and I will try more than hundred per cent to prove my selection," he said.

He gave full credit to his parents, family members, and coaches, Mahendrasinh Chauhan and Debu Mitra, and said without their support he could not have made it to the India squad.

Jadeja took 42 wickets in the Ranji Trophy this season with his best being 7 for 31 against Hyderabad and had also scored 739 runs from nine matches with an unbeaten 232 against Orissa.

Jadeja played a vital role in helping Saurashtra reach the Ranji Trophy semi-final this year. Jadeja was also involved in a record 525-run partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara against Orissa in a Ranji Trophy match.

Jadeja will become the second player from Saurashtra to make it to the one-day squad.

In 1980, right arm off-spinner Ashok Patel from Bhavnagar had played an ODI for India. Patel is now chief coach of Gujarat's Ranji Trophy team.

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