‘Saurashtra’s Favourite Son’: Jaydev Unadkat Dedicates Ranji Trophy Title To Cheteshwar Pujara

Saurashtra won their second title in four years by defeating Bengal by nine wickets in the final of the Ranji Trophy at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. Fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat—the team’s captain—dedicated the win to Cheteshwar Pujara and termed the batsman as “one of the favorite sons” of the field.

Unadkat has also been with the Indian unit in the ongoing home series. But, he pulled himself out of the second Test to serve his regional team in the Ranji final.

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“As I said earlier, this is a fitting tribute to one of Saurashtra’s favorite sons, Chintu (Pujara’s nickname),” Unadkat was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo after the resounding victory.

Meanwhile, hours after Saurashtra’s win, Pujara completed his 100th Test. India In the second match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in New Delhi. He is now only the 13th Indian cricketer to achieve this feat. After a duck in the first innings, he scored an unbeaten 3 off 74 balls in the fourth innings. The winning boundary also came from his bat as the team won by 6 wickets.

Pujara appeared in two Ranji Trophy matches for Saurashtra this year. He got a chance to bat in three innings and scored 121 runs before joining the national unit. However, Unadkat revealed that despite his inclusion in the Delhi Test, Pujara was consistently backing him in the summit clash.

“He was equally keen, wishing us all the best,” said the speedster.

Furthermore, Unadkat highlighted Saurashtra’s recent dominance in the domestic circuit. Earlier in December 2022, the Unadkat-led team won the Vijay Hazare Trophy by defeating Maharashtra in the final.

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“It was important to win this to prove our dominance and show everyone that this era, this decade belongs to Saurashtra,” said the proud captain.

In conclusion, Unadkat said that his team would try to build on the success and “carry forward this legacy for at least 3-4 years as long as the core of the team remains intact.”

“Three trophies in three years proves that we are doing a lot right. We have set a tone. I am really proud of what this team has achieved. It is not just about winning trophies Rather, it is about creating a legacy for our team, which will make a huge impact on cricket in the region,” he added.

Unadkat has been called up for the remaining Tests of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He has also been included in the Indian squad for the subsequent three One Day Internationals against the Australian team.

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