R Samarth replaces Karun Nair at Vidarbha following the latter’s switch to Karnataka for the upcoming Ranji season.
Why does Vidarbha find Karnataka cricket so special? They appear to discover their batting mainstays from the southern state, so the answer might not be too difficult to find. Another Karnataka batter is expected to join Vidarbha as a professional. R Samarth is currently expected to play for the Central Zone team in the forthcoming domestic season, following Ganesh Satish and Karun Nair.
The 32-year-old batsman, who spent his entire cricket career with Karnataka before relocating to Uttarakhand the previous season, is now expected to make another move. The right-handed hitter is now on the verge of becoming a professional member of the defending Ranji Trophy winners, essentially taking Karun Nair’s spot.
“I have taken the NOC from Uttarakhand and am waiting for the formalities (with Vidarbha),” Samarth, who is a veteran of 95 first class games, told.
However, sources close to the Vidrabha Cricket Association (VCA) have told this publication that Samarth is headed to join them as a new player. Originally from Delhi, Dhruv Shorey will remain their second professional.
Samarth started playing domestically in 2013 and remained with his home state until the 2023–24 season, when he moved to Uttarakhand. He played in seven first-class, List A, and T20 matches for the northern state during his one and only season there, hitting 649, 385, and 184 runs, respectively, with respectable averages of over 54, 55, and 30.
Samarth has played in 95 first-class matches during his career, scoring 6157 runs at an average of 39.72.
For personal reasons, Nair has chosen to move back to his home state this season, and Vidarbha has been searching for a suitable replacement. After playing for Vidarbha for the past two seasons, he led the team to the Ranji championships last year, amassing an incredible 863 runs in nine games.
Before Nair, Vidarbha had Ganesh Satish, who played for the team in nine domestic seasons from 2014–15 to 2022–23.