Rajkot, Nov 11 (IANS) Veteran left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat will continue to lead Saurashtra in the 2026/27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with the state’s senior men’s selection committee on Wednesday naming a 16-member squad for the domestic men’s T20 competition.

Harvik Desai and Harvansh Singh Pangalia, who was a member of the India U-19 team winning this year’s World Cup, are the two designated wicketkeepers in the side. Unadkat will spearhead a bowling line-up comprising left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya, all-rounder Prerak Mankad, Parth Bhut and Krains Fuletra.

Sheldon Jackson, who was a long-time stalwart of Saurashtra’s batting line-up across all formats, has joined the side as a coach for the tournament. He will be a member of the support staff alongside head coach Niraj Odedra and team manager Narendrasinh Jadeja.

Since his retirement from the game, Jackson has worked mainly as a broadcaster in the BCCI organised tournaments and is all set to have his first coaching stint with the Saurashtra side.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Saurashtra have been placed in Elite Group B alongside Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways and Tamil Nadu and will play all their league fixtures in Indore. Despite winning the Ranji Trophy previously, Saurashtra is yet to win the title.

Unadkat and his men will begin their campaign against Bihar at the Holkar Stadium at 11 am on November 14. Two days later, they will head to the Daly College Cricket Ground for a 1:30 pm game against Haryana on November 16.

Saurashtra will return to the Holkar Stadium to face Jammu and Kashmir on November 18, in a match that begins at 4:30 pm. After a break of three days, Saurashtra take on Railways in an early 9 am start at the Daly College Cricket Ground on November 22. Their last two group games are both at the Holkar Stadium - against Punjab at 11 am on November 24 and against Tamil Nadu at 4:30 pm on November 26.

Saurashtra squad: Jaydev Unadkat (captain), Harvik Desai (wicketkeeper), Jay Gohil, Prerak Mankad, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja, Sammar Gajjar, Ruchit Ahir, Chetan Sakariya, Parth Bhut, Harvansh Singh Pangalia (wicketkeeper), Siddhant Rana, Krains Fuletra, Yuvraj Chudasama, Luckyraj Vaghela, Devang Karamta and Ankur Panwar.

--IANS

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