The Ranji Trophy season finally came to an end with Saurashtra defeating Bengal in the final at the iconic Eden Gardens to lift the trophy for the second time in four years. Saurashtra’s captain Jaydev Unadkat played an instrumental role in the team’s win as he picked up 9 wickets in the game, including a solid 6-fer in the second innings.
After the stunning win, Unadkat, who was released by the BCCI from the 2nd Test squad vs Australia to play the final, made a pretty heartwarming gesture as he dedicated the win to Cheteshwar Pujara.
Jaydev Unadkat Win To Cheteshwar Pujara
For the unversed, Pujara is perhaps the biggest name to represent the Ranji Trophy champions. In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Unadkat said:
“As I said before, it’s a fitting tribute to one of Saurashtra’s favourite sons, Chintu (Cheteshwar Pujara),” the captain said in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo.
Jaydev also revealed that even though Pujara is with the Indian side, playing the 2nd Test match against Australia in Delhi but he was constantly cheering for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy final. He revealed:
“He was equally eager, wishing us all throughout,”
Further, Jaydev also mentioned how important the victory was for his side. He said: “It was important to win this one to prove our dominance and to show everyone that this era, this decade belongs to Saurashtra,”
“Three trophies in three years prove that we have been doing a lot of things right. We have set a tone. I’m really proud of what this team has achieved. It’s not just about winning trophies but creating a legacy for our team, which will leave a bigger impact on cricket in the region,” he further said.
Unadkat To Make His India Comeback
Meanwhile, riding on his amazing performances in the just-concluded Ranji Trophy season, Jaydev Unadkat will make a return to the Indian side as he has been named in the final two games of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He will also make his return to the One-Day format of the game after a long gap of 10 years as he was named in the ODI squad against Australia.
Talking about Pujara, the Indian test specialist, who was playing his 100th Test match in Delhi, ended the game by hitting the winning runs against Australia in Delhi on Sunday. He remained unbeaten on 31 hitting the winning runs against Australia in Delhi on Sunday, in the second innings, and became only the second player after Ricky Ponting to hit the winning runs in their 100th Test match.
