Ranji Trophy 2022-23 | "Saurashtra are no longer overawed of the opposition as they used to be" - Sunil Gavaskar 

Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has acclaimed Jaydev Unadkat-led Saurashtra for its quantum jump in domestic cricket in recent years.

Saurashtra is one of the three teams that play in India's richest domestic competitions from the state of Gujarat. They looked unlikely to contribute players to the national team until the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja made the cut.

They reached the Ranji Trophy final four times in the last decade before ending a title drought in the competition under Jaydev Unadkat. They defeated Bengal in the 2019-20 final on the basis of a first-innings lead to clinch their maiden Ranji Trophy title.

They also beat Ruturaj Gaikwad's Maharashtra in the final of the 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy to lift their second 50-over domestic title in 14 years.

Writing in his monthly column for Sportstar, Gavaskar mentioned how they has turned into a fearless unit. He said:

"They are no longer overawed of the opposition as they used to be, and are now winning national trophies in all formats of the game. Niranjan Shah has not only built a world-class stadium but has also given the thrust to Saurashtra cricket."

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"Saurashtra is a top team now" - Sunil Gavaskar

In the ongoing 2022-23 Ranji season, Saurashtra outplayed 41-time champions Mumbai to post a historic 48-run win at the BKC Stadium in Mumbai.

This was their first victory against the heavyweights in the red-ball competition and that too in the absence of Unadkat. Stand-in skipper Arpit Vasavada delivered with the bat, scoring 75 in the first innings.

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja's all-round brilliance played a vital role in the 48-run victory. He picked up six wickets in the game and scored an impetus 90 in the second innings to give his side a lead of 279.

While heaping praise over the team's clinical victory over Mumbai, Gavaskar mentioned:

"Coming to proceedings from the field of play, Saurashtra beat Mumbai outright in the Ranji Trophy for the first time ever - that, too, in Mumbai. Make no mistake, Saurashtra is a top team now and has been for the last many years."

He further wrote:

"That said, for a Mumbai cricketer growing up during the time when Mumbai was invincible to see a team that used to be rolled over easily beating Mumbai outright is a bitter pill to swallow."

Saurashtra are currently playing against Delhi at their home venue - the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.

On his return to the state side after coming from the Bangladesh tour, Unadkat picked up a hat-trick in the first over of the game and finished with staggering figures of 8/39 as Delhi were bowled out for a paltry 133.