After nine seasons, all-rounder Jalaj Saxena has made the decision to leave Kerala. Saxena moved to Kerala before the 2016–17 season and continued to play for them until the 2024–25 season, playing in 125 games across all formats. He made his domestic debut for his native state of Madhya Pradesh in the 2005–06 season.
On Tuesday, September 9, the seasoned cricket player announced the news on his official social media account.
It’s never easy to express how I feel, but today I want to talk about something that’s really important to me. It still seems unreal to me that I played my final game wearing Kerala colours,” Jalaj Saxena stated on his official Instagram account.
Saying this evokes an odd spectrum of feelings, including pride, thankfulness, and a slight ache. This team has given me more than simply cricket over the years. It provided me with a family that supported me through all of my highs and lows, as well as brothers and friends. I gave all I had for this journey—blood, sweat, tears—and in exchange, it gave me lifelong memories and relationships,” he continued.
While taking a total of 352 wickets, Jalaj Saxena amassed an incredible 3153 runs for Kerala.
He collected 269 wickets at a remarkable average of 20.68, including 23 five-wicket hauls, and scored 2252 runs, including three hundreds, in 58 first-class matches. Saxena made history during the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy season by becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to reach the double of 6000 runs and 400 wickets. Kerala finished second after losing to Vidarbha in the final.
He has taken 269 first-class wickets for Kerala, which is second only to KN Ananthapadmanabhan’s 310. Jalaj Saxena has amassed 7060 runs and claimed 484 wickets in his first-class career, including 34 five-wicket hauls.
Jalaj Saxena clarified in his statement that this is not a farewell and did not specify which team he intends to join next. He has been one of the most reliable players in Indian domestic cricket for the last 20 years, yet he has yet to be called up to the national squad.
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