'I believe my chance will come' - Jaydev Unadkat on his Team India comeback

Saurashtra captain and left-arm fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat is perhaps in the form of his life not only as the leader of the Ranji side but also as a bowler. He recently picked a seven-wicket haul in the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy 2020 against Gujarat to put his team in the finals. They will meet Bengal in the summit clash to be played in Rajkot starting from the 9th of March.

The Saurashtra pace spearhead has been one of the top wicket-takers in domestic circuit picking scalps with both the new ball and the old ball. He has played for the Indian team in one Test, 7 ODIs and 10 T20I matches so far, having made his international debut way back in 2010 in South Africa. He has 14 T20I scalps and 8 ODI wickets to his name, while he went wicketless in the only Test he played.

However, his numbers in the Ranji Trophy have been phenomenal for the previous few seasons and with Virat Kohli mentioning that the team is in process of identifying a few guys as a backup to keep the standards at the optimal level. Unadkat’s performance couldn’t have come at a better time when there are spots open in the national team.

Jaydev Unadkat on the cusp of making history

The left-armer has picked 65 wickets this season in Ranji, breaking the record of Dodda Ganesh, who had taken 62 scalps in 1998-99 season. However, the important fact is that Unadkat needs just four more wickets to go past record holder Ashutosh Aman, who picked 68 wickets in the 2018-19 season. The Saurashtra pacer already has the record for most wickets by a pacer in a single season in Ranji history.

Talking about his chances of an international comeback, Unadkat said, “I think I am there in terms of confidence, experience, and fitness. I believe my chance will come and I will wait for it. Also, the age is on my side, I am 28. The way I have performed this season can be the benchmark I can probably set for myself for the rest of my career.”

In eight Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, he grabbed 15 wickets at an economy of 4.94 and in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he affected 12 dismissals in seven games at an economy of 5.74.

“It means a lot not because I have so many wickets, but because I have been able to win games for my side. If I have to be right up there in the bowling group we have in our country, then I need to do what no one else has done,” Unadkat was quoted by Times of India.