3 veterans who succeeded upon shifting states to Vidarbha ft. Wasim Jaffer

Vidarbha has been a promising setup for players over the course of the last 10 years, with their successive Ranji Trophy triumphs in 2017-18 and 2018-19 being a huge boost for the state side.

Vidharbha have arguably been in the shadows of Mumbai and Maharashtra, the other two teams from the same region. However, they have managed to carve a niche for themselves by producing promising players on a consistent basis.

Apart from producing players, the setup has also been an excellent platform for players who were in search of a new state team after cutting ties with their former side. Vidharbha have welcomed several players, much like other sides do, helping them revive their careers or at least be a success story.

Karun Nair and Dhruv Shorey are the two latest additions to the previously mentioned list of players switching sides. The pair have moved on from Karnataka and Delhi respectively and hope to begin a new journey with Vidarbha, who are also looking for some solidity after a set of bleak campaigns of late.

On that note, let us take a look at three such players who succeeded after shifting to Vidarbha on the domestic circuit.

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#1 Wasim Jaffer

The opening batter remains the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy history and a fraction of it came during his spell with Vidarbha towards the end of his career. After 19 years of being associated with the Mumbai team, Wasim Jaffer switched to Vidarbha ahead of the 2015 season.

Jaffer continued his class with Vidharbha, particularly in the 2018-19 campaign, where he scored 1037 runs at an average of 69.13 during the team's title defense. It also marked the second-most prolific season of his Ranji career as he became the first batter to score over 1000 runs across two different seasons.

Jaffer played for the side from 2015 to 2020, when he eventually announced his retirement and ended his glorious career.

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#2 Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu recently became the second Indian cricketer to play in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The batter had a topsy-turvy time in Indian cricket, which includes a switch from Baroda to Vidarbha in 2016.

He spent his initial years with his home side in the form of the Hyderabad team but switched to Baroda in 2010.

Rayudu could not play much for Vidarbha during his short stint, but it did enough to materialize a move back to Hyderabad as well as trigger his rise within the ODI setup of Team India, leading up to the 2019 World Cup.

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#3 Ganesh Satish

The veteran batter has had a massive turnaround in fortunes since leaving Karnataka in 2014, similar to what Karun Nair did recently. Ganesh Satish has been a vital cog in the Vidarbha setup over the years and played a crucial role in the domestic side's triumph in the Ranji Trophy.

Recalling how the switch between teams has changed his life, Satish said in an interview with Sportstar in 2019:

“I think it has been five years now. I know everyone really well. I have my own room at the association. I don’t think there is any problem of imbibibing the culture. All these guys are my close friends. I can almost understand Marathi now. I am pretty happy here."

He has played over 100 first-class games and has scored 6822 runs at an average of 45.78.

Satish became Vidharbha's highest individual run-scorer in first-class cricket in 2019 when he scored 237 against Andhra. He broke his own record when he compiled a memorable 275-run knock against Maharashtra during the 2021-22 campaign.

Who are some of the other players who succeeded after shifting to Vidarbha on the domestic circuit? Let us know what you think.