If I keep on playing the way I am at the moment, my time will definitely come, feels Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat has struggled to make himself a starter for the Indian side which can be put down to the presence of stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami as the first choice fast bowlers for the team. He also has to compete with the likes of youngsters like Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur waiting in the wings, but the Saurashtra bowler firmly believes that if he continues to play the way he's playing right now, he isn't off from the senior side. 

"To be honest, all the bowlers are doing very well with the chances they are getting. If you see, it is the best crop of pace bowlers we have had in the history of Test cricket, so it cannot get better in terms of competition. If I keep on playing the way I am at the moment, I definitely feel the time will come. I have been called up when I was doing well in the past and I still feel my time will come. I am going to wait for my time. I am taking it one game at a time. Right now, the focus is to help Saurashtra win every single game," Unadkat told TOI.

The left-armer now seems to have come to terms with the present situation and insists that he will never go up to the selectors, or anyone else for the selection matter, to figure out as to what he needs to do to make a comeback into the national team.

"I don't think that's the right attitude. There can be a lot of things on their (selectors) mind as well. And there can be a lot of other factors, including what the committee and the team management thinks. I feel it's not right to ask for explanations. I would much rather keep doing what I am doing and hope that people will notice my efforts. I just want to enjoy every single game I play. I am at the peak of my game, mentally as well which is really important as far as my career is concerned," he said.

During last year's Indian Premier League, Unadkat walked home with a whopping Rs 11.5 crore. But he fell short of justifying the price tag for the Royals and there was a lot of speculation that he wilted under the burden of expectations. While Unadkat admitted that there was a lot of hype about his contract, he also insisted it was never about money.

"To be honest, it was a first for me last year. The hype was so much more then than this time around. I still feel it was never about the money that did anything to my game last year. Yes, I did expect a lot at times from myself but it can happen to anyone,” he said.

"Irrespective of the money, pressure is going to be there every single time I step on to the field. It doesn't matter who I play for. I feel the same pressure when I turn out for Saurashtra as well. But honestly speaking, there is no such baggage (big money) on my mind. I am just in a happy space. I am enjoying the cricket that I am playing. I am simply loving the game and it's all good when it comes off on the field."

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