3 reasons why Jaydev Unadkat deserves a place in the Indian team

Jaydev Unadkat has been around the Indian cricket circuit for almost a decade now. The 28-year-old left-handed fast bowler spearheaded the Indian pace attack in the U-19 World Cup in the year 2010. He could move the ball both ways off the seam and was thus rushed into Test cricket.

Unadkat made his Test debut in the year 2010 against South Africa at Centurion.Just 19 years old at the time, he had a forgettable outing and went wicketless. Since then he has not played a single Test for India.

He has represented India in 7 ODIs, the last of which was in 2013 and has been out of favour with the selectors in the 50-over format since then. He has been in an out of the Indian team in the T20 format and has failed to get a consistent run.

Unadkat led Saurashtra to their maiden Ranji Trophy win in the 2019-2020 season and was in expectational form with the ball.

On that note, here is a look at 3 reasons why Unadkat should be considered by the selectors in the national team.

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#1. Current form

The left-handed pacer has been in exceptional form of late. In the recently concluded Ranji Trophy season, Unadkat picked up 67 wickets in 10 matches. He claimed 5 five-wicket hauls in the said Ranji season. The tally of 67 wickets in a Ranji season is second highest in the history of Ranji cricket and the highest for a pacer.

Apart from spearheading the bowling and picking up wickets in a heap, the 28-year-old pacer led the team with lot of maturity.

Unadkat has matured a lot as a player as well a captain and has been an inspiration for the young members in the team.

Based on his current form, Unadkat definitely deserves another chance in the Indian team especially in the limited overs format.

#2. Variety in the bowling attack

Unadkat being a left handed pace bowler adds much needed variety to the Indian bowling attack. At present, there is no left handed pace bowler who is in the reckoning to make it to the national team in all the three formats. Being a left handed pace bowler is an added advantage to Unadkat as he creates an awkward and makes it difficult for the batsmen.

In the past Indian have been blessed with a battery of left handed pacers like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, R. P. Singh and Irfan Pathan and all have tasted success for India.

The only competition for Unadkat is Khaleel Ahmed who too is a left -handed bowler. However, Ahmed has not tasted much success with the Indian team and has not been in the best of touches in recent times.

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#3. Consistent performances in T20 internationals

Unadkat has picked up 14 T20 international wickets at an average of 21.50 and a strike rate of 14.86.

He was adjudged the Man of the Series in the home series against Sri Lanka in 2017 when he picked up 4 wickets in 9 overs of the said series at an average of 11.

Unadkat last represented India in an international game in the year 2018 in the Nidahas trophy which involved Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Though his economy rate in the said series was on a higher side i.e. 9.93, he picked up 7 wickets in the said series at an average of 19.86 and strike rate of 14.86.

Since the Nidahas Trophy, Unadkat has been overlooked by the selectors and has been out of the Indian team. Team India at times misses a left handed pacer at times and Unadkat may be the man for team India.