Unadkat will lead Saurashtra in the Ranji final against Bengal.
Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat on Sunday (February 12) was released from India's squad for the second Test against Australia in Delhi, starting on February 17, in order to let him lead Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy final against Bengal at Eden Gardens.
Unadkat, who recently played a Test for India after a gap of 12 years, was unlikely to feature in India's XI for the Delhi Test, with the pitch likely to assist the spinners as in Nagpur. Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav's presence in the squad meant Unadkat was better off playing the title clash for his state team from February 16.
Saurashtra defeated Karnataka by four wickets, while Bengal crushed defending champions Madhya Pradesh by 306 runs in their respective semi-finals. In a re-match of the 2019/20 finalists, Saurashtra will be boosted by the presence of Unadkat who has been a talisman for the side.
In a media release, BCCI stated: “The All-India Senior Selection Committee in consultation with the Indian team management has decided to release Jaydev Unadkat from India’s squad for the 2nd Test of the Mastercard Australia tour of India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Jaydev will now join the Saurashtra squad, which qualified for the Mastercard Ranji Trophy final to be played against Bengal from 16th February at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.”
India defeated Australia by an innings & 132 runs in Nagpur to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series for the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy.