Ranji Trophy 2022-23: Jaydev Unadkat becomes first bowler to bag hat-trick in first-over of tournament; finishes with career best figures

Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat welcomed 2023 off to a flying start as he became the first bowler to claim a Ranji Trophy hat-trick in the first over of the match on Tuesday. If this was not enough, the veteran fast bowler completed a fifer in the contest in just 12 balls with a magical spell of 2-0-5-5. 

Unadkat dismissed Delhi’s Dhruv Shorey, Vaibhav Rawal and Yash Dhull in the third, fourth and fifth deliveries of the clash to claim his hat-trick. Previously, Vinay Kumar held the record for the fastest hat-trick in the 2017-18 quarter-final against Mumbai which came across the first and third overs.

The dream run for the Saurashtra captain continues as he recently made headlines with a sensational Test comeback as he picked three wickets across two innings against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Adding to this, he was also the leading wicket-taker for Saurashtra in their Vijay Hazare Trophy-winning campaign, picking 19 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 3.33. Unadkat led from the front and finished with figures of 8/39 after delivering 12 overs in the game.

Unadkat's searing hot spell has bamboozled Delhi completely as they have been restricted to 133 on Day 1 of the contest being played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium C.

Saurashtra’s quest for knockout rounds

Delhi opted to bat first and is on the cusp of registering a loss to Saurashtra. The match proves to be a vital one for Saurashtra if they are to make a spot in the knockout rounds of the competition. 

After the conclusion of three games, the Unadkat-led side is currently placed third in Group B with 12 points which includes one win and two draws. Mumbai and Maharashtra are currently on top of the table, placed in the first and second place, respectively.

Meanwhile, after losing their highest run-getter with 579 runs in seven innings- Dhruv Shorey, the side will look for their lower-order batters to put up a respectable total on the board. In any case, both sides will aim for results in their favour.