MUMBAI: After parting ways with Mumbai, for whom he played for nine seasons, experienced batsman Siddhesh Lad will play for Goa in the upcoming domestic season.
According to sources, he's likely to lead Goa, which already features two ex-Mumbai players-Arjun Tendulkar and Eknath Kerkar- as well. The 30-year-old Lad had obtained a No Objection Certificate from the Mumbai Cricket Association earlier this week. While he had offers from three state associations, Lad finally opted for Goa.
"It was a difficult decision to leave Mumbai, but I have turned 30 now. I'm experienced and know about my game much more than I did earlier. I want to play for my domestic team the whole season, something which I didn’t get to do for the last two seasons with Mumbai. Goa is my native place, and it will feel like a second home as I have my friends and family living there. That is one of the reasons I have opted to play for Goa," Lad told TOI from the UK, where he’s currently playing club cricket on Friday.
"Yes, he will play for us, and we are glad to have him on board. He's a seasoned batsman," said Goa cricket Association president Suraj Lotlikar. Lad will return to India soon and will join Goa in Delhi later this month for the JP Atray Trophy.
In 61 First-Class games, he scored 4,058 runs@ 40.58, with eight hundreds and 26 fifties-150 being his highest score. He took five wickets with his part-time off-spin too. In 39 List A games, he scored 1140 runs@42.22, with four centuries and 3 half-centuries, and also took 9 wickets@27.11. In 53 T20s, he scored 842 runs@24.05, including 3 fifties, besides taking 22 wickets, with a career-best haul of 5 for 13.
Known as the 'Crisis Man' of the Mumbai team due to his several rescue acts for the team, Lad wasn’t a part of the Ranji Trophy finalists' red-ball team last year. He was part of the Mumbai side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (played just one game) and the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2021.
