The Ranji Trophy 2025 kicks off the next 15th of October. As usual, some players switched teams ahead of the new season. In this article, we are going to check out and comment on the most impactful transfers of the offseason. Some of these moves could really alter the landscape of Indian cricket in 2025 – 2026 and for years to come. Let’s see all the transfers you should be aware of.
Nair’s transfer from Vidarbha to Karnataka is the story of a proper homecoming. The fluent strokemaker is a powerful and solid batter, who restarted his career in England and will now return to the team he spent years with. Nair was once a mainstay of the Karnataka batting setup, but was almost forced to move to Vidarbha, in order to have better chances, after a clear loss of form. Having been a part of their Ranji-winning campaign last year, Karun has received a no-objection certificate (NOC) to make his way back to his home state.
Thanks to this and other significant transfers that we are about to underline, all the leading operators on the Indian market, listed on Oddschecker, consider Karnataka to be one of the favorites to win the title today. Obviously, the Ranji Trophy is not an easy championship to compete in, but all signs point to a resounding Karnataka’s success: they are clearly the ones to beat. While Nair is the most important move, the team also added a couple of other returning players: Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul.
In order to make room for Nair, Karnataka sent the right-hand batter Koushik to Goa, a team that have recently earned promotion to the Ranji Trophy Elite Group, after clinching last season’s Plate Group title. Their campaign will immediately receive a boost with this signing. The soon to be 33-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the cause.
Sarwate was a key contributor to Kerala’s runner-up finish in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, even if he played as a guest. The left-arm spinning all-rounder has made a surprise move to Chhattisgarh for the 2025-26 season, a transfer that a lot of analysts never saw coming. Sarwate won the Ranji Trophy twice, when he played for Vidarbha, and wouldn’t mind playing for it once again. He is a well known veteran in first-class cricket and an added value for whichever team he plays with.
Sharma was too discontinuous last year to be confirmed, even if he was a valuable player in the latest Vijay Hazare Trophy. After Vidarbha lost all four matches and finished bottom of the table in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the staff chose to show the door to some disappointing players. Sharma was one of them. Last season, the player didn’t feature in any Ranji Trophy matches, because he served as the main backup to captain, and first-choice wicketkeeper, Akshay Wadkar. Now in Baroda, Sharma hopes to have the chances he craves to show everyone that he can be a reliable player in a determined team with some aspirations.
Singh made his debut in the Ranji Trophy aged 14, with Baroda, but then struggled mightily to cement his place and therefore transferred to Uttarakhand. In the second half of the IPL 2024 he played a pivotal role in their six-match winning streak that secured a playoff berth, and quickly rose to fame. He was retained using the Right-to-Match card, but went unused this IPL season. In the 2024-25 Ranji, he claimed 18 wickets in five matches and recently featured for the Chepauk Super Gillies (in the 2025 TNPL). On that stage, he took three wickets and scored 85 runs, in eight matches. In Tripura, he needs to confirm the good he’s done in the latest months.
