Umesh Yadav Leaves Vidarbha, Seeks New Domestic Cricket Opportunities

New Delhi, September 20 (Daily Kiran) : Veteran Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav has decided to part ways with Vidarbha for the current domestic season, seeking new opportunities elsewhere. The 38-year-old has obtained his No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA). A source confirmed on Sunday that Umesh has officially received his NOC and is currently evaluating his options.Discussions are ongoing with two or three state associations, particularly smaller ones, but no decisions have been finalized yet. Umesh has returned to New Delhi from Nagpur, where he has been spending most of his time. He plans to make a final decision on his next domestic cricket team in the coming days. It is believed that Umesh had previously sought clarity on his role within the team after being deemed fully fit by the VCA selection panel, but did not receive a definitive answer.Despite participating in the local Vidarbha T20 Premier League a few months ago, the ongoing uncertainty led him to decide to leave Vidarbha. “Umesh is looking for a new state team to play for in domestic cricket, as he no longer wishes to represent Vidarbha,” another source revealed. “He had sought assistance from others to move to stronger state teams, but it was too late by then.” Umesh last played for India in the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023, where the team faced defeat.Over his career, he has taken 170 wickets in 57 Test matches. At home, he has claimed 101 wickets in 32 Tests, averaging 25.88. Since 2018, Umesh has shown remarkable performance in domestic conditions, taking 43 wickets at an impressive average of 18.25 across 11 Test matches. He has achieved the feat of taking five wickets in an innings twice and ten wickets in a match once during this period. Overall, Umesh has played 141 matches across all formats, securing 288 wickets.Notably, he ranked third among bowlers with the most wickets in the 2015 Men's ODI World Cup, taking 18 wickets at an average of 17.83.