MUMBAI: Mumbai opener Bhupen Lalwani, who was the top run-getter in Mumbai’s victorious Ranji Trophy campaign in the 2023-24 season, has decided to play for Chhatisgarh in the upcoming domestic season as he desires to play white-ball games in domestic cricket, TOI has learnt.

“Lalwani had applied for a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) in this regard, and received it from the association,” a source informed.

Putting on a stellar show, Lalwani scored 588 runs in 10 matches@39.20, with five fifties and one century in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai last season. Overall, Lalwani has played 14 first-class matches, in which he’s scored 681 runs@34.05, with one century and five half-centuries, but is yet to make his debut on One-day or T20 cricket. The young batsman is moving to Chhatisgarh as he wants to play white-ball games in domestic cricket, which also enable his chances to play in the lucrative IPL.

“I live in Mumbai (Chembur), and started playing cricket here. I’m thankful to the Mumbai Cricket Association for giving me a lot of opportunities – I played for four seasons for the Mumbai Under-23 team and then for the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. However, I’m leaving Mumbai for better opportunities now. I want to play domestic cricket in all the formats which I’ll get to do for Chhattisgarh,” Lalwani told TOI.

“Being part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy winning team will always be a sweet memory for me, but at 25, it’s necessary for me to play throughout the season and play in the white-ball formats too. Last season, I played almost all the Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai. I can capitalize on that next season and grow from there,” the opener added.

Lalwani will be the third Mumbaikar in the Chhatisgarh dressing room after allrounder Shashank Singh, who did well for Punjab Kings in IPL-2024, and wicketkeeper-batter Eknath Kerkar. In the 2022 domestic season, Mumbai opener Akhil Herwadkar too had played for Chhattisgarh, while former Mumbai wicketkeeper Sulakshan Kulkarni was the head coach of the team from central India in the 2016-17 season.

Lalwani is the second player after allrounder Aman Khan, who has moved to Pondicherry, to have quit Mumbai this season. On the other hand, Siddhesh Lad and Herwadkar have moved back to Mumbai.