Umesh Yadav to leave Vidarbha, seeks NOC to join another state
Fast bowler Umesh Yadav has asked the Vidarbha Cricket Association for a no-objection certificate to play for another state from the coming domestic season.
Umesh Yadav, the fast bowler who has long been a mainstay of Vidarbha's domestic side, is set to end his association with the state team. He has decided to take up a new challenge in domestic cricket and part ways with Vidarbha after a long spell together.
Nicknamed the "Vidarbha Express" for his express pace, the experienced fast bowler has sought a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) to play for another state side ahead of the upcoming domestic season.
Umesh, who turns 39 on October 25, is currently not in contention for a place in the Indian team. According to VCA secretary Sanjay Badkas, Umesh informed the association that he has received offers from other state teams and wants to move on.
"Yes, he approached us for an NOC and said he has received offers from other state associations and wants to play for another team from this season. He did not name any particular association," Badkas said.
Umesh's departure will mark the end of an important chapter for Vidarbha cricket, though Badkas noted that the state has a strong pool of emerging fast bowlers who could benefit from the opportunity.
Since making his first-class debut for Vidarbha in the 2008-09 season, Umesh has been an integral part of the team's rise in domestic cricket. He played a key role when Vidarbha won the Ranji Trophy in consecutive seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
His genuine pace often gave Vidarbha a decisive advantage. Even when batsmen survived his spells, the pressure created from one end helped bowlers at the other.
His performance against Kerala in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy semi-final in Wayanad is considered his most memorable. In that match, Umesh returned figures of 7-48 and 5-31, the best of his first-class career, playing a major role in taking Vidarbha to the final.
In November 2015, he also took a hat-trick in domestic cricket while picking up four wickets against Rajasthan, a testament to his match-changing spells.
Umesh was no slouch with the bat either. In October 2015, he scored his maiden first-class century, making 128 off just 119 balls against Odisha. He has also contributed in List A cricket in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and in domestic T20 cricket in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Vidarbha's first Test cricketer, Umesh made his debut against West Indies in Delhi on November 6, 2011, becoming the first player from Vidarbha to be picked for the Indian Test team. He went on to become one of India's leading fast bowlers across formats. Umesh has taken 170 wickets in 57 Test matches, including three five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match haul. He has also played 75 ODIs and nine T20Is for India.
His last Test was against Australia at the Oval in June 2023, since when he has been out of the Indian Test side. His application for an NOC now marks a new turn in his long association with Vidarbha, and the experienced fast bowler is likely to be seen in another state's colours next season.
