IPL 2021: “Players like Chetan Sakariya give more than 100%” – Jaydev Unadkat
Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) Jaydev Unadkat heaped praise on fellow left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya after their win over the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Mumbai on Thursday. Unadkat stated that players like Sakariya can contribute in many ways and remarked how the IPL debutant gives his all for his team.
Unadkat, who opened Rajasthan's bowling attack with his Saurashtra teammate Sakariya, was awarded the Player of the Match for his figures of 4-0-15-3. Chetan Sakariya, who claimed three wickets in his IPL debut earlier this week, also bowled well at the start and at the death to restrict Delhi to a total under 150.
As a senior player in the Saurashtra setup, Unadkat has seen the 23-year-old evolve as a cricketer. In fact, it was under the former's captaincy that Chetan Sakariya made his T20 debut for Saurashtra in the 2018-19 season.
Expressing his delight at a good start to Chetan Sakariya’s IPL career, Unadkat said:
“Very very happy for Chetan Sakariya. He has come a long way since his debut for Saurashtra three years back. I have seen him grow as a cricketer. He’s someone who throws his body on the line and always gives more than 100%. You need such players in your team who can contribute in more than one ways. I think he’s someone who feels the game, and I am very happy with the way he started his IPL career.”
In his IPL debut against the Punjab Kings earlier this week, Chetan Sakariya dismissed India stars Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul and later got the wicket of Jhye Richardson.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 turned Chetan Sakariya’s fate
Chetan Sakariya has been headlining the stories heading into IPL 2021. He made a name for himself in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2021, where he took 12 wickets from five matches at a bowling average of 8.16 and an economy rate of 4.90 runs per over.
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It was during the same time that a personal tragedy struck him.
Being the son of a bed-ridden former lorry driver, Sakariya came from a humble background. During the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he lost his brother to suicide. However, the tragedy did not derail his performances. On the back of his great outing, Rajasthan Royals bought him INR 1.2 crore for IPL 2021.
In the absence of Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, Chetan Sakariya will play an important role in RR’s campaign this season.