Four state cricketers move on to new pastures

Shreyas heads to Kerala, Karun for Vidarbha, Siddharth, Kadam sign up with Goa


BENGALURU: Knocking on the doors of the selection committee, speaking with the bat and ball, sometimes with both. It's not uncommon for players to turn to other states for exposure after a long, futile wait.

This season, Karnataka is set to lose at least four of their talented cricketers to other states. While all-rounder Shreyas Gopal is headed to Kerala, top-order bat KV Siddharth and the big-hitting Rohan Kadam have signed up with Goa. Former skipper Karun Nair, who is currently playing minor county in England, will sign up with Vidarbha.

The exit of Shreyas and Karun would be winding down of the golden team of the 20313-15 & 2014-15, when the state won a treble claiming the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare and Irani Cup.

Leggie Shreyas, who was a proven star in age-group cricket, made his debut for Karnataka against Mumbai in 2013. In a career spanning a decade, the 29-year-old has featured in 76 first-class matches, 57 List A and 87 T20 fixtures. Over the past couple of seasons, he has been in and out of the team, often benched in limited overs.

The 29-year-old, who has claimed a hat-trick in Irani Trophy, did not confirm signing up with Kerala, but said he had been granted the No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).

"I've represented Karnataka for over two decades, so it is a bittersweet moment for me. I've played for the state in all age groups. I have a few good years of cricket left in me and thought the time was right to move on," stated Shreyas.

Asked about his best moments with the former Ranji Trophy champions, Shreyas said, "I took great pride in what I did for the state. Picking one moment is tough, the two seasons when we claimed the treble will always be special. Also, the hat-trick in the Irani Cup is unforgettable."
AN UNSUNG HERO

Since making his debut in the 2018-19 season, Siddharth has been an unsung hero for Karnataka on many occasions. The soft-spoken top-order batter has often been given the short end of the stick from the selectors. The 30-year-old was the highest run-getter for Karnataka in the 2021-22 but was benched the following season. He was returning from injury, but the decision to go with the reputations of established players and not by Siddharth's pedigree was baffling. He was omitted from the South Zone team for the Duleep Trophy as well.

With no guarantee of game time this season, the crisis man of Karnataka cricket chose to sign up with Goa. "It hasn't hit me yet," was Siddharth's first reaction. "I wasn't planning to move, but I felt confident of stepping out of my comfort zone after a couple of state associations approached me. I spoke to KSCA officials before taking a call. In Goa, I hope to feature in all three formats," explained Siddharth.

KARUN FOR VIDARBHA

Karun, who was unavailable for comment, is likely to return to the country next month. He is expected to be available for Vidarbha for all three formats this season. Among the brightest sparks of Karnataka in the past decade, Karun crafted a triple hundred in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy final against Tamil Nadu and replicated the effort against England in the 2016 Chennai Test.

Given a long rope in the Karnataka set-up, the middle-order bat was relegated to the fringes and dropped from the state probables last season.

A HARD CALL
To wait or not to wait was southpaw Rohan Kadam's dilemma before he took up the offer from Goa. Seen more as a white-ball specialist, Kadam wasn't even among the probables despite a good outing in the Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament. "It isn't a great feeling to leave home, but with the team management wanting to give more opportunities to youngsters, there is a lot of uncertainty about the opportunities I'll get. Hence, I had to take a tough call," said the 29-year-old.

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