Unadkat's game time with Pune has helped boost his confidence

Jaydev Undakat was bought by the Rising Pune Supergiants at 30 lakh rupees in this year's IPL auction and the Saurashtra bowler was only looking to get more games under his belt at the start of the season. Unadkat has featured for three franchises over the years namely Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders, but the 25-year old had just played two games in the past two years and desperately needed some game time. 

After the failure of Ashok Dinda in the first half of the IPL, Unadkat got his opportunity to feature in the playing XI for the Pune side and he has welcomed it with open arms. Moreover, the speedster has consolidated his position in the team with key performances in the last 7 out of 8 games. 

On Saturday, Unadkat once again took the responsibility of bowling the ultimate over of the innings under pressure while defending 13 runs. And not only did the Saurashtrian man deliver by bowling a maiden, he also took a hat-trick to end his outing with figures if 5/30 from his 4 overs. Unadkat's first victim was Bipul Sharma followed by the caught and bowled dismissal of Rashid Khan and his final victim was Bhuvneshwar Kumar. All the three batsmen failed to play Unadkat's slow cutter and were dismissed in more-or-less the same fashion.

This performance was an even much better version of Unadkat's last over against the Mumbai Indians two weeks ago when he defended 17 runs while dismissing the dangerous and settled Rohit Sharma to clinch a 3-run victory for the Pune side. And Unadkat admitted that the faith showed by captain Smith in his bowling has boosted his confidence.

"To have been already through it, having been there, done that, you have the confidence in yourself, your skills," Unadkat told iplt20.com. "To bowl, those cutters is something that has been working for me. I have been hit for some runs in the last game and some other games as well. But, as we talked in the meeting as well, just sticking to those plans and just doing what I am good at, bowling to my strengths has been working well. Really happy we defended that low-scoring total and have gone up in the points table." 

Ben Stokes would have been crowned with the Man of the Match trophy if Unadkat had not left the Pune fans spellbound with his death bowling skills. Stokes smashed a 25-ball 39 and then returned to the field to dismiss Sunrisers Hyderabad top order. 

The post-match chatter between Stokes and Unadkat was hilarious as Stokes interviewed the 25-year old paceman questioning him about how confident he was of taking a hat-trick in the last over of an important game.

"It's crazy. To go for some 20-21 runs in the last match, and to then come out here and defend 13 runs is something special. Keeping it simple is what has been working well for all of us," Unadkat said.

"All of us have been helping each other; to take those wickets in the Powerplay, middle overs. At times I have taken those wickets, at times you have. Immybhai [Imran Tahir] has been brilliant for us as well. I think taking those wickets throughout the innings is what has been helping me in the death overs as well."