(PTI Photo)

Jaydev Unadkat will continue his county cricket stint in England after being left out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The BCCI selection panel has announced four squads for the red-ball competition, which will mark the start of the domestic season in India and include several prominent players.

Unadkat, however, was not included in any of the four squads. Instead, he will be playing first-class cricket in England, where he has joined Sussex County Cricket Club for the final phase of the ongoing County Championship.

“I’m really happy to be back here,” Unadkat said in a video message on social media. “Hove is my second home. The team’s been doing fantastic this season and, hopefully, in the second leg of the season, we’re going to pull it through and get back in division one, where we belong. Cheers!”

This will be the second stint for the left-arm pacer with Sussex, having previously played four matches and claimed 11 wickets. His standout performance was against Leicestershire, where he took 6/94 in the second innings, helping Sussex secure a 15-run victory.

Sussex Head Coach Paul Farbrace is pleased with the 32-year-old’s return to the team.

“We are all delighted that Jaydev is returning to the 1st Central County Ground for the final five championship matches of the coming season,” Farbrace said.

“Jaydev lived up to the expectation that not only would he show his class on the field, but he would also be a fantastic person and be part of what we are all trying to achieve. Jaydev is a lovely guy who did everything he could to help our players and share his fantastic knowledge,” he added.

Unadkat, who leads Saurashtra in Indian domestic cricket, has featured in 114 first-class matches, where he has claimed 403 wickets at an average of 23.34. He has achieved 23 five-wicket hauls throughout his career.

In addition, he has played four Test matches and taken three wickets.