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Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been released from India's Test squad ahead of the second Test at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi starting February 17. Unadkat has been released for the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 final which is scheduled to be played from February 16 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
“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,” BCCI said in a statement released on February 12.
Unadkat is Saurashtra’s skipper and will lead them against Bengal in the final. Saurashtra reached the final on February 12 with a four-wicket win over Mayank Agarwal-led Karnataka in Bengaluru. In Unadkat's absence, Arpit Vasavada led the team to victory with a double ton in first innings followed by an unbeaten 47 in tricky run chase on Day 5.
In his last three Ranji Trophy appearances, the 31-year-old has 17 wickets from three games including 8/39 against Delhi earlier this year. He was picked in the Test squad for Bangladesh tour. He got a chance in the second Test where he picked three wickets at Mirpur.
Before the start of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, head coach Rahul Dravid had said that he will be open to releasing players for Ranji Trophy matches if they are unlikely to feature in the playing XI.
“We would like the boys to play Ranji Trophy games as and when possible. But, it is a tough one for us. The quarterfinal is on the 31st and our build-up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is exactly at the same time,” Dravid had said in a press-conference during India vs New Zealand ODI series.
“As and when the series starts, if an opportunity arises where someone is not playing in our team and he is required for a semi-final or a final, then we would certainly look at it.”
India's updated Test squad for Delhi Test: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav
