Ranji Trophy: Jitesh Sharma joins Baroda after Vidarbha exit; Rasikh Salam also makes move | Cricket News

KOLKATA, INDIA – MARCH 22: Rasikh Salam of Royal Challengers Bengaluru celebrates the wicket of Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2025 IPL match between Kolkata the Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, 2025, in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Mumbai: Vidarbha and Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma and J&K pacer Rasikh Salam Dar will represent Baroda in the upcoming domestic season. Both players have apparently made the switch with help from their RCB teammate and Baroda captain, Krunal Pandya.Jitesh, 31, captained Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy last season, leading them to the quarterfinals, but did not feature in any matches during the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy. He has played nine T20Is for India (100 runs @ 14.28), and was a star performer for IPL 2025 champions RCB (261 runs in 15 matches @ 37.28, with one fifty and a strike rate of 176.35, including a top score of 85 not out in a league stage match and a crucial cameo of 24 off 10 balls in the final against his former IPL team, Punjab Kings).

Rasikh has played five first-class matches and taken 13 wickets at an average of 25.23. In List A cricket, the 25-year-old fast bowler has claimed 13 wickets from 10 games at an average of 37.46 and an economy rate of 5.80. He has also featured in 36 T20 matches, taking 45 wickets at an average of 23.13 and an economy rate of 8.52. Rasikh made his List A debut for J&K in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy in October 2018, and played his first Ranji Trophy match later that year on December 30. His T20 debut came on February 22 in the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Salam, who has played for India A, has also been part of four IPL teams — RCB, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians.Apparently, Jitesh wasn’t happy with certain things at Vidarbha.A white-ball specialist, Jitesh — who made his first-class debut in 2015 — did not play in the Ranji Trophy last season. He played the last of his 18 first-class matches in January 2024. He has scored 661 runs in 18 first-class matches, 1,533 runs in 56 List A games, and 2,886 runs in 141 T20s with a strike rate of 152.29.Apart from RCB, Jitesh has played for Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He was part of the Rohit Sharma-led MI team that won the trophy in 2017.