Karun Nair and Jitesh Sharma set to leave Vidarbha ahead of new domestic season

In a significant development ahead of the new domestic season, Karun Nair and Jitesh Sharma are set to part ways with the Vidarbha state team. This could be a major blow for the Central Zone side, as both players were key contributors in the 2024–25 season across formats.

Vidarbha enjoyed a highly successful campaign last season, winning the Ranji Trophy, finishing runners-up in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and reaching the quarter-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).

According to reports, Jitesh is likely to join Baroda, while Nair is expected to return to his home state, Karnataka. Nair had an excellent domestic season, which earned him a comeback to the Indian Test team. He is currently in England and part of the playing XI in the ongoing first Test of the five-match series at Headingley, Leeds.

In the Ranji Trophy, Nair was the fourth-highest run-scorer with 863 runs. He also topped the run charts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 779 runs. Before the 2023–24 season, he had left Karnataka citing personal and family reasons. He also captained Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last season. 

Sources from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) have confirmed that his return is likely. On the other hand, the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) has confirmed that Jitesh’s transfer will be completed within a couple of days. Jitesh captained Vidarbha in the SMAT but had a quiet season in both white-ball tournaments. 

He did not feature in the Ranji Trophy last year. However, Jitesh had a successful IPL 2025 campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), helping the franchise win their maiden IPL title by defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final and ending their 18-year-long wait.

With both players likely to switch states, attention will now turn to how they perform in the upcoming domestic season. Official announcements are still awaited from both KSCA and BCA.

Meanwhile, the Indian Test team has made a strong start to their series in England. With Karun Nair in the playing XI, fans will be hoping he gets his chance to bat and make an impact on day two at Headingley.

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