Aditya Sarwate moves to Chhattisgarh from Kerala ahead of upcoming domestic season

Veteran all-rounder Aditya Sarwate has made yet another domestic transfer ahead of the upcoming season. After spending just one season with Kerala, Sarwate will now represent Chhattisgarh for the upcoming domestic season.

"He has sought an NOC and we have issued it," Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) secretary Vinod Kumar told Cricbuzz.

Originally from Nagpur, Sarwate was once a main member of the Vidarbha team, playing an important role in their back-to-back Ranji Trophy wins in 2017-18 and 2018-19. His 11-wicket haul in the 2018 final, including twice dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara. However, in 2023, he moved to Kerala.

In his single season with Kerala, the 35-year-old played nine first-class matches, scoring 271 runs and picking 34 wickets, contributing to Kerala's runner-up campaign in the Ranji Trophy. Notably, they lost the final to his former team, Vidarbha.

His solid spells of 4/111 against Gujarat in the semifinal kept Kerala’s dream alive. Sarwate's impressive run also included an 80-run knock against Madhya Pradesh. Still, as the Kerala Cricket Association looks to streamline their squad with Jalaj Saxena and Baba Aparajith likely to continue, Sarwate has decided to join a new team. "He has sought an NOC and we have issued it," Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) secretary Vinod Kumar told Cricbuzz

"It's true that I have taken the NOC and am moving to Raipur. I am looking forward to the season and hope to help Chhattisgarh do well in the domestic circuit," Sarwate said.

Wasim Jaffer to return to Vidarbha as batting consultant

Meanwhile, Vidarbha too is undergoing some changes. With Karun Nair and Jitesh Sharma not expected to return, the team is on the lookout for new players. Notably, there have been discussions of bringing back domestic legend Wasim Jaffer as a batting consultant, under head coach Usman Ghani, who guided them to their latest Ranji title.