Vidarbha all-rounder Aditya Sarwate has made a significant move by joining Kerala for the upcoming domestic cricket season. The 34-year-old has obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) and will become the third professional player for Kerala this season, alongside Tamil Nadu’s B. Aparajith and Madhya Pradesh’s Jalaj Saxena.
Sarwate’s decision to leave Vidarbha, where he spent nine seasons, was driven by his desire to play in all three formats of the game. Kerala’s secretary, Vinod S. Kumar, confirmed that the association will soon sign a formal contract with the player.
“After Shreyas Gopal left for Karnataka, we were looking for a genuine all-rounder who could play in all three formats, and Aditya fitted the bill,” said Kumar. “He has performed creditably for Vidarbha for the last nine seasons, and I think his experience and skill will be an asset for Kerala this season.”
As a left-arm spinner, Sarwate has taken over 250 wickets for Vidarbha and is expected to provide strong support for Jalaj Saxena, who has been Kerala’s main strike bowler in recent seasons. However, Saxena will only play red-ball cricket for Kerala this season.
“We had informed Jalaj that he will be selected only for the Ranji Trophy this season,” said Kumar. “He has been our strike bowler and leading wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy for the last few seasons, and we cannot ignore that. But we felt we needed to groom youngsters for the shorter formats and told Jalaj he was not in our plans for white-ball cricket.”
Sarwate’s addition to the Kerala squad is expected to bolster their all-round capabilities and enhance their chances of success in the upcoming domestic season.
