He is Saurashtra's second-highest wicket-taker in the VHT 2025-26.
Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowler Chetan Sakariya is hopeful of featuring in the IPL 2026 after a brilliant run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.
Though he couldn’t manage a bid in the latest mini auction, the 27-year-old is preparing himself to be at his best if he earns a call as a replacement player for any of the franchises. But while speaking about missing out on a bid, Sakariya acknowledged his lack of rhythm in the past few months and how it affected his performances during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025.
With the latest edition of India’s domestic T20 tournament taking place just before the auction, it operated as a major auditioning platform for the players to attract the IPL teams’ attentions. However, the Saurashtra bowler managed 12 scalps in seven fixtures of the event at an economy of 10.3.
“Honestly, my bowling has been a little up and down. In the Ranji Trophy, one match went well, one didn’t. I was bowling well in patches. At times I felt I was in rhythm, at other times I wasn’t. My confidence kept fluctuating, and that showed in my SMAT performances as well,” he stated to ESPN Cricinfo.
But Sakariya has made a stunning comeback in the subsequent domestic league. The seamer revealed that after an average SMAT outing, he did not miss a single training session during the VHT 2025-26. The left-arm seamer focused on increasing his bowling a lot more and reaped the fruits in the ongoing one-day tournament.
“In the last three games, the ball has been coming out of my hand really well. Earlier, I felt I was doing something wrong in my processes because of that up-and-down trend. I worked on stamina and strength in the off-season, and now I’ve been focusing on volumes,” noted the pacer.
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With 15 scalps in seven appearances at an impressive economy rate of 6.59, the seamer is Saurashtra’s second most successful bowler in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. After starting off the tournament with two wickets in the initial three fixtures, Sakariya levelled up his game to bag three wickets in each of the next three fixtures.
Last night, the bowler starred with a match-winning four-wicket haul against Punjab that also involved centurion Anmolpreet Singh’s dismissal. He finished with the figure of 10-0-60-4. With this victory, the two-time champions have made it to the summit clash of the VHT 2025-26. They will battle it out against Vidarbha for the silverware on January 18.
However, if Sakariya carries on a similar form in the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches, he could be a great replacement option for the franchises in the IPL 2026.
“Now, it finally feels like everything is coming together. I’m just grateful to be able to play regularly. Nothing gives me more joy than being able to stand at the top of my mark and manifest, getting a batter out in a certain way, and then going out and executing it,” he added.
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