Jaydev Unadkat Becomes Highest Wicket-Taker in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy History

Leading Wicket-Taker in SMAT History: Indian fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat's cricket career has been marked by considerable ups and downs. He has repeatedly earned a place in the Indian cricket team with his impressive performances in domestic cricket, but has struggled in international cricket. Thus, he has spent most of his career proving critics wrong. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) released him before the IPL 2026 auction. Now, just a few days later, the left-arm fast bowler has once again proven his value in Indian domestic cricket. Unadkat has become the highest wicket-taker in the history of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).

Unadkat achieved this feat during Saurashtra's match against Delhi in Ahmedabad, dismissing Delhi captain Nitish Rana for 76 runs. With that wicket, he took his tally to 121 wickets in 83 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, surpassing Siddharth Kaul's record of 120 wickets. This achievement came at his home ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium, where he was central to Saurashtra's golden era in domestic cricket.

Most wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy:

• Jaydev Unadkat - 121
• Siddharth Kaul - 120
• Piyush Chawla - 113
• Lukman Meriwala - 108
• Chama Milind - 107

In the history of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Siddharth Kaul has taken 120 wickets in 87 innings at an average of 18.25. Meanwhile, Unadkat tops the list with 121 wickets at an impressive economy rate of just 6.79. His performance demonstrates his effectiveness in controlling the game while maintaining regular strikes. Among the top five bowlers in the tournament's history, only Hyderabad's Chama Milind is active alongside him.

Such records demonstrate that Unadkat is one of the strongest bowlers in domestic cricket. Despite being dropped multiple times, he continues to find ways to recover. The country's top wicket-taker in domestic T20 cricket will now be eyeing the IPL auction, where the left-arm pacer could fetch a good price.