On February 19, Saurashtra captain and pacer Jaydev Unadkat paid tribute to teammate Chateshwar Pujara by dedicating the Ranji Trophy victory to him. He also referred to the veteran as one of the “beloved sons” of the area. Earlier, Saurashtra won the Ranji Trophy after defeating Bengal in the championship game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. On the other hand, a few hours later, Pujara struck the winning runs in his 100th Test match against Australia in Delhi.
“As I said before it’s a fitting tribute to one of Saurashtra’s favorite sons, Chintu (Pujara’s nickname). He played his 100th Test for India against Australia in Delhi, but he was equally eager, wishing us all throughout,” Unadakat said after his team’s phenomenal win as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. Pujara, who participated in the Delhi Test, became the 13th Indian cricketer to play 100 or more Tests. He made his international debut in 2010, and over the course of his 13-year career in the longest version of the game, he has run for 7052 runs. Pujara also had a few appearances for Saurashtra before joining India for national duty. In three innings, he scored 25, 5, and 91 runs.
Unadkat, who has led Saurashtra to three domestic championships, claimed that Saurashtra “belongs” to this decade and this era. Saurashtra defeated Bengal in the final Ranji game with a convincing nine-wicket victory. Earlier in the domestic campaign, in December 2022, Saurashtra won the Vijay Hazare Trophy under Unadkat. Unadkat said, “It was important to win this one to prove the dominance and to show everyone that this era, this decade belongs to Saurashtra.”
“Three trophies in three years proves that we have been doing a lot of things right. We have set a tone, I’m really proud of what this team has achieved. It’s not just about winning trophies but creating a legacy for our team, which will leave a bigger impact on cricket in the region. Our goal will be to carry forward this legacy for at least 3-4 years till the core of our team is intact.”