Saurabh ends decade-long stint with UP, set to join Andhra
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's seasoned left-arm spinner
Saurabh Kumar
, 32, has decided to switch to Andhra Pradesh for the upcoming domestic season.
In a statement on social media, Saurabh wrote: "I would like to express my profound gratitude for the great journey I had with UPCA over the past 10 years of First-Class Cricket.
As I move on to new opportunities, I would like to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to UPCA for giving me the opportunities to lead and learn.
"
"As I venture into a new chapter of my cricketing journey with the Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association, I would like to extend my acknowledgement to all who have been a part of my journey so far," he further added.
Kumar, who was part of the India squad during last year's Test series against England (2024), as well as the overseas tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, has opted to move from Uttar Pradesh to Andhra ahead of the new season.
He has played 79 first-class matches, taking 324 wickets and scoring 2,374 runs. His best performance came against Haryana in the 2018–19 season, where he picked up 14 wickets in a match.
Speaking to TOI, the Baghpat lad said, "It was a good opportunity that knocked on my door, and I accepted it. I will play all three formats for Andhra Pradesh."
Responding to UP's recent performances in domestic cricket, he said, "I don't think there's any major reason for us not winning trophies. We reached the semifinal in the Ranji Trophy, qualified in the one-day tournament, and in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, we qualified twice in consecutive years. It's just bad luck that UP hasn't won a senior domestic title recently."
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