JOIN USIt will be great to bowl alongside Zak: Unadkat
One of the new faces in the Royal Challengers Bangalore line-up, Jaydev Unadkat was excited about his stint with the Bangalore-based side and hoped to rub shoulders with senior paceman and team-mate Zaheer Khan during the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.
The 21-year-old, who was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders for three seasons, was brought by RCB for a handsome sum of Rs 2.85 crore in their effort to reinforce their frail bowling unit. The Saurashtra player, who has scalped 36 wickets from 26 T20 matches, may be exactly what the Virat Kohli-led side was looking for.
“It’s (camp) going pretty well. It’s going to be an exciting season ahead as its my first stint with RCB this year and I am really looking forward to it,” said Unadkat while taking a break from the team’s practice session at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here on Wednesday.
“To live up to the competition I had to increase my basic strength. I've been working on these aspects on and off the season. I have remained fit through out the season and I am bowling at the right areas. I am in good rhythm.”
Injuries to pace bowlers is something of a norm but Unadkat has remained largely injury free and he credited working on basic strength for it. “I have been working on my basic strength that's required for a fast bowler to remain fit through out the season and that's the most important aspect as far as I am concerned,” noted Unadkat, who also said that he has increased his pace to suit the demands of the format.
Unadkat will also find a suitable mentor in Zaheer, who is returning from a foot injury. “Everybody knows that he has lot of experience and it’s great to bowl alongside Zaheer. I learn a lot just by watching him bowl at nets and will be learning a lot from him in the next few weeks,” said Unadkat, who also said he has been working on his slower deliveries.
Zaheer sweats it out at nets
Royal Challengers Bangalore pace spearhead Zaheer Khan seemed to have recovered completely from his calf injury as he was seen bowling at the National Cricket Academy on Wednesday.
The left-arm pacer, who was out of action for nearly two months and chose to sit out of the opening day’s camp on Tuesday, bowled for little over thirty minutes without really bending his back. The India international then did a few shuttle runs and was engaged in catching practice before calling it a day.