Kedar Mahadev Jadhav was born on 26 March 1985 in Pune into a middle-class family which originally hails from Jadhavwadi in Madha, Solapur district. He is the youngest of four children; his three elder sisters excelled in studies becoming a PhD in English literature, an engineer and an MBA in finance, while Jadhav switched to cricket after ninth grade. His father Mahadev Jadhav was employed as a clerk with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board until his retirement in 2003.

Jadhav lives in the western Pune locality of Kothrud^[5] and started playing cricket at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana.^[4][6] He initially represented Rainbow Cricket Club in tennis ball cricket tournaments, before getting selected for the Maharashtra under-19 team in 2004.^[7]

In 2012, Jadhav made his first triple ton by scoring 327, the second-highest by a Maharashtra batsman ever in the Ranji Trophy, against Uttar Pradesh at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

He was a star in 2013–14 Ranji Trophy season where he scored 1,223 runs including six centuries and was highest run-getter and the fourth-highest in a season in the tournament's history, to help Maharashtra make their first Ranji final since 1992-93. Jadhav also represented India A and West Zone cricket team.

He was named in Indian squad for Bangladesh tour in June 2014 but did not get a game.

He played his first international match in November 2014 against Sri Lanka in fifth match of Sri Lanka tour of India at Ranchi and scored 20 off 24 balls before he was out stumped. India went on inflict a first time 5-0 whitewash on Sri Lanka.

Jadhav played in all three ODIs against Zimbabwe in July 2015. In the third match at Harare, he scored 105 not out off 87 balls, his maiden ODI hundred. India won the series by a 3-0 margin. During the tour, he also made his T20I debut.

In January 2017 Jadhav scored 120 off 76 balls and shared 200 run partnership with Virat Kohli to help India to register a win against England in MCA Stadium, Pune.In the third match of the same series he made 90(76) balls and almost guided India home in pursuit of 320.He was dismissed in the second last ball of the innings and although India lost the match Jadhav had by then firmly established his place in the middle order.

He was awarded with the Man Of the Series award for scoring 332 runs in that series.Jadhav has since represented India in the ICC Champions Trophy in England,2017 and has been an integral part of the Indian team since then.

Jadhav, who was initially in the Royal Challengers Bangalore development squad, was signed by Delhi Daredevils in 2010. He made immediate impact as he scored a 29-ball