NAGPUR: Aditya Sarwate has produced so many extraordinary performances over the years that it has become a routine now. The left-arm spinner finishing at the top of Vidarbha's wicket-takers' chart was the safest bet one could place. Sarwate proved that to be true by finishing the season as the highest wicket-taker for Vidarbha, for the fourth season in a row.
One of the most consistent left-arm spinners, Sarwate completed this season with 35 wickets. He has played 29 Ranji Trophy matches since 2018-19 and accumulated (55, 32, 17, 35) 139 wickets with a distinction of being the top wicket-taker for his side in all these seasons and also being one of the prime reasons behind Vidarbha's title win in 2018-19.
The 33-year-old's record is astonishing, and makes him stand out among the top left-arm spinners in the First-Class circuit. Sarwate, an excellent fighter, has done all he can to catch the eyes of national think-tank.
"His numbers speak for him. If any spinner from the Central Zone deserves to stay in the national scheme of things, it is Sarwate," said a former Vidarbha coach. Last year, Sarwate became the quickest Vidarbha bowler to take 200 wickets in First-Class matches.
Apart from accomplishments on the field, the allrounder's hard work and humility has made him a player youngsters look up to. Sarwate's batting has won Vidarbha many matches, and he has left rivals gasping with match-winning spells.
But his underrated trait of finding solutions has always gone unnoticed. This ability makes him modify his game to different pitches and opponents, and manage his fitness to consistently outperform in the most competitive domestic tournament.
Sarwate, who is fondly addressed as 'Adi da' by most Vidarbha players, showed how he finds solutions to the poorest of situations when Vidarbha defended the lowest ever total (73 runs) in Ranji Trophy against Gujarat this season, and created history. Sarwate finished with career-best bowling performance of 11 for 81 (5-64 & 6-17) against Gujarat.
As soon as the spinner scripted a record-breaking victory, the Vidarbha cricket followers and even current players took to social media and wished Sarwate, adding 'legend' as prefix to his name. This has become a regular feature whenever Sarwate, who has 236 wickets in 51 FC matches, posts a remarkable performance.
No matter where he is playing, Sarwate's template is set — one slip, a close-in fielder, a man at covers, a mid-wicket and a bunch of variations targeting the off-stump. Using this pattern, he has gained so much faith among Vidarbha skippers that he is the very first option in captains' arsenal.
The left-arm orthodox, who has been around since under-14, has had a perfect partner in Akshay Wakhare since his debut. They both have twisted many games.
It started with the game against Maharashtra in 2015-16, which was Sarwate's maiden season. From there, Sarwate has not looked back and the way he is performing now, he is most likely to get more attention in the seasons to come.
