A final decision regarding Yadav's next destination is expected in the coming days.
Senior India pacer Umesh Yadav has officially parted ways with Vidarbha for the ongoing domestic season after receiving a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA).
The 38-year-old has returned to New Delhi and is currently evaluating his future options. A source close to the developments revealed that Yadav is in discussions with two to three state associations, primarily smaller states, to find a new domestic team. A final decision regarding his next destination is expected in the coming days.
"He has officially received his NOC from Vidarbha and is currently evaluating his options. Umesh's talks are currently underway with two to three state associations, primarily smaller states, though nothing has been finalised yet.
"He has returned to New Delhi from Nagpur, which is where he spends most of his time now, and will take a final call on his next domestic cricket team in the coming days," IANS quoted a source as saying.
It is learnt that Umesh decided to end his long-standing association with his home state due to a continuous lack of clear communication regarding his selection prospects and team role once he attained peak fitness.
Despite playing in the Vidarbha T20 Premier League earlier in the year, the persistent ambiguity from the state selection panel forced him to seek fresh opportunities elsewhere.
"Umesh has been on the lookout for a new state team to represent in domestic cricket as he no longer wishes to play for Vidarbha. He did approach a few people to seek their assistance regarding a potential move to other strong states, but it was a bit late by then," another source told the news agency.
Umesh Yadav last played for India in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023. He has taken 170 wickets in 57 Test matches. In 32 home Tests, he claimed 101 wickets at an average of 25.88. Since 2018, his home performance has been exceptional, taking 43 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 18.25 (including two 5-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket match haul).
Across all formats, Yadav has 288 wickets in 141 international matches. He was a standout performer in the 2015 ODI World Cup, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker with 18 scalps at an average of 17.83.
(With IANS Inputs)