Jaydev Unadkat stuns Delhi with a first-over hat trick: A spectacular comeback to the Indian team 12 years after his Test debut in 2010, Jaydev Unadkat enjoyed a memorable 2022. In the just concluded Bangladesh series, Unadkat featured in just one game. During the game, he took three wickets and recorded his maiden international wicket.
The 31-year-old, who also guided Saurashtra to victory in the 2022 Vijay Hazare campaign, greeted the new year in grand fashion by picking up a hat-trick in his first over of Ranji Trophy return as the Delhi-Saurashtra fixture got off to a dramatic start in Rajkot. Jaydev Unadkat became the first player in tournament history to strike a hat-trick in the first over. Irfan Pathan took the first over hat trick for India in an International Test match and now Unadkat in the Ranji Trophy.
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After Delhi’s captain Dhull took the decision to bat after winning the toss, Unadkat, the captain of Saurashtra, removed Dhruv Shorey, Vaibhav Rawal, and Yash Dhull off the third, fourth, and fifth deliveries of the match. It was the first ever first-over hat trick in the history of the Ranji Trophy. The previous earliest hat-trick in a game was by Karnataka fast bowler Vinay Kumar, whose hat-trick in the 2017–18 quarterfinal versus Mumbai was stretched across the first and third overs.
Jaydev Unadkat added two more dismissals by the end of his second over to seal his 21st five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Delhi struggled at 5 for 6 when he trapped Lalit Yadav lbw for a four-ball duck, and Unadkat’s numbers read 2-0-5-5. Lakshay Thareja was added to the list, and he has already claimed six wickets. Delhi are now 53/8.
As a bowler and skipper, Unadkat has had a terrific run recently. He took the most wickets for Saurashtra last month when they won the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 19 wickets in 10 games for an economy of 3.33. And we discussed his Indian test team return with 3 wickets. Best wishes to the ‘Khabbu‘ bowler.
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