All you need to know about N Jagadeesan: The Tamil Nadu star replacing Rishabh Pant for the Oval Test

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In a major update ahead of the fifth and final Test between England and India at The Oval in London, Tamil Nadu’s prolific wicketkeeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan has been added to the Indian squad. This decision comes after Rishabh Pant sustained an injury during the Manchester Test, ruling him out of the crucial series decider.

Jagadeesan is expected to arrive in London by Tuesday, after securing his visa on Sunday morning. Though Dhruv Jurel is likely to continue as the first-choice wicketkeeper, Jagadeesan will provide valuable backup as India look to close the series on a high.

Jagadeesan was born on December 24, 1995, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. A technically sound right-handed batter and a reliable wicketkeeper, he has risen through the domestic ranks with consistent performances across formats.

Jagadeesan made his first-class debut on October 27, 2016, in the Ranji Trophy. Making an instant impact, he earned the Player of the Match award in his very first game. That season, he also debuted in T20s and List A cricket — playing for Tamil Nadu in the Inter State T20 Tournament on January 30, 2017, and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on February 25, 2017.

Jagadeesan entered the IPL scene in 2018 when he was picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He made his IPL debut against Royal Challengers Bangalore on October 10, 2020. After a second stint with CSK in 2022, he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the 2023 season. While his IPL opportunities have been limited, his domestic credentials continue to grow stronger.

One of Jagadeesan’s most remarkable feats came on November 21, 2022, when he smashed a record-breaking 277 off just 147 balls for Tamil Nadu against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The knock set a new world record for the highest individual score in List A cricket, surpassing Ali Brown’s 268.

He also topped the run charts in the 2020–21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 364 runs in eight games. That same season, he was Tamil Nadu’s leading run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, amassing 217 runs.

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Jagadeesan has been Tamil Nadu’s most consistent batter in red-ball cricket over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons. In 2023-24, he scored 816 runs from 13 innings at an average of 74.18. He followed it up with 674 runs at 56.16 in the 2024-25 season, once again topping the run charts for his state side.

Although he narrowly missed out on selection for the India A tour of England, Jagadeesan has been part of the BCCI’s targeted players pool through its Centre of Excellence. His consistent form across formats has kept him in national selectors’ radar.

Earlier this month, he represented Chepauk Super Gillies in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), where he smashed a 41-ball 81 in his most recent T20 outing on July 4.

This will be Jagadeesan’s second tour of the United Kingdom. He previously led the Tamil Nadu Colts side during a development tour last year, gaining vital experience in English conditions.

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