Rajasthan Royals (RR) pacer Jaydev Unadkat revealed that he has worked on some of the technicalities in his bowling as well as made a few changes in his bowling action during the offseason.
He also mentioned that he is looking forward to executing those things in the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021).
The 29-year-old had a great start to the IPL 2021, picking up 3/15 in his first appearance for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) against the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the bowler was happy with his performance in the first phase of the IPL 14 and is looking to continue to do the same in the UAE as well.
Unadkat said in an official release: “It's been a good start for the team and for me personally as well. That game (against DC) was crucial, I was coming back into the team, so I had to do well. I was pretty happy with the way I was bowling in that part of the season, and I'll be looking to continue doing the same in this phase as well but with a few improvements that I've been working on during the offseason.”
The left-arm pacer continued, “I have worked on some of the technicalities in my bowling. I wanted to make a few changes in my bowling action, so was working on that, and that itself requires a good amount of time, so I was devoted towards making those changes and getting used to them.”
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Unadkat also said he has been enjoying the role of leading the bowling attack for the RR in the IPL, where has taken 85 wickets in 84 matches so far.
He said, “I think I've been playing that role in our team for the past 2-3 years because of the experience I have in the IPL till now, and I quite like to do it. Nowadays, to be honest, it's not about one leader in the pack, everyone who is coming in has played at the highest level somewhere or the other down the line.”
The Saurashtra captain continued, “Everyone knows their individual game and it's only about maybe guiding them whenever required or about providing the strategic inputs whenever the team needs it. So, I think I kind of enjoy that role and I will be looking to play it going forward as well.”
On often taking breaks from social media, Unadkat revealed: “I wanted to do some work with my bowling and wanted to go off the attention a bit. It's always nice if you can have some time with only yourself and the family, and not really listen to what the outside world has to say about you.”
He further explained, “I think that kind of a phase can actually help you at times. And I've done that in the past as well so it's kind of a normal process that gives me that space to go deep and just be honest with myself and find out what I need to work on, and what I'm good at. That helps in gathering the confidence again and come back stronger.”
Unadkat also opened up about his fellow Saurashtra and RR pacer Chetan Sakariya, saying: “He's a very honest guy, keeps working hard for his game so it's good to see him get rewarded. He's been doing that for Saurashtra and now he did that for RR as well. So yes, really happy for him and I believe he'll only learn and get better as he's quite young.”
He is now looking forward to the upcoming second phase of the IPL 2021, resuming on September 19 in Dubai, saying he “would try to keep the rhythm going” in the UAE.
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The pacer said, “I think I was bowling well, and hopefully with the work that I've put in, I'll be able to see those results coming out as well. I'll be looking to get those crucial wickets and breakthroughs for the team with the new ball. Collectively, I think we're placed right in the table and if we can get a couple of wins from here, it can really boost our campaign this season.”
Unadkat also believes that the “conditions will be similar to last year” in the UAE.
The RR star further pointed out, “It is harder to bowl when the boundaries are smaller like in Sharjah because the batsmen are more confident of clearing the boundary, but you got to accept the challenge and find ways to bowl. We know that those games are going to be high scoring, so you got to be aware that even if you get hit, you must come back stronger.”
He signed off by saying, “It's not about going for 24 runs or getting 2 wickets -- it's about restricting those boundaries. On a ground that is small, and has flat wickets, every single ball matters. We've played quite a few games on all the grounds last season, and the wickets and the weather are going to be similar, and we're confident that we can do well.”
(With ANI Inputs)
