Jaydev Unadkat

Long-serving Saurashtra left-arm fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat impressed early in his career, and though he has often seemed on the verge of breaking through to the India side, he never quite managed to parlay that initial success into a career in internationals.

It all came up roses for him in 2010, when he led India Under-19s' attack in the World Cup in New Zealand, got himself an IPL contract with Kolkata Knight Riders, and made a dream first-class debut when he took 13 wickets in a match against West Indies A on the tour of the UK. He also played his first Test in Centurion that winter, but went wicketless, and had to wait another 12 years for another chance.

Another breakthrough came during India's A tour of New Zealand in 2012-13, where Unadkat picked up nine List-A wickets at an average of 15.77, including two four-wicket hauls. He then enjoyed a largely successful IPL campaign with Royal Challengers Bangalore, finishing joint-second on the team's wicket-takers list. His consistent performances helped him gain selection for India's tour of Zimbabwe in July 2013, where he made his ODI debut and took eight wickets in five matches.

Unadkat spent considerable time off the field due to a stress fracture in 2014, but came back in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season, impressing with 40 wickets. He revelled in the semi-final, which Saurashtra won, with 11 wickets against Assam, days after he was picked up again by KKR in the IPL auction. Three years on, he was vital in Saurashtra winning their first Ranji title, taking a phenomenal 67 wickets in ten games, including ten in the semi-final against Gujarat. In 2022-23, they did it again and Unadkat was front and centre once more: though he played only four games, he made his presence in the final at Eden Gardens against Bengal count, taking nine.

He didn't manage to translate that form into five-day cricket, though, going wicketless in the two Tests he played against West Indies away later that year.

Unadkat has been around the block in the IPL, playing for eight teams - most successfully for the short-lived Rising Pune Supergiant franchise: he took 24 wickets in their run to the final in 2017.

- Jaydev Unadkat started his IPL journey in 2009 and has been part of eight teams.

- He rose to prominence in IPL 2017, where he took 24 wickets in just 12 games for Rising Pune Supergiant, who made the final.

- He was picked up for INR 11.5 crores by Rajasthan Royals in 2018. His numbers fell off and the opportunities dried up over the four seasons in which he was with the side.

- He was part of SRH in IPL 2024; the finalists of the season bought him back for IPL 2025. It was the 13th time he was bought in an auction, the most by any player.

- He played only seven games in IPL 2025 but picked up 11 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.34.