Decision to leave Mumbai for Uttarakhand was not an easy one: Aditya Tare

Parsee Gym stumper Aditya Tare during the Kanga League match v Karnataka SA at Cross Maidan on Sunday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Former Mumbai Ranji Trophy-winning captain Aditya Tare will be seen keeping wickets and scoring runs for Uttarakhand in the upcoming domestic season.

Tare, 34, whose team beat Saurashtra at Pune for Mumbai's 41st and last Ranji Trophy win in 2015-16, said: "It's a difficult decision to leave Mumbai."

He added: "Whenever I entered the ground wearing a Mumbai jersey it was memorable for me. I played for Mumbai with a lot of pride. To share a Mumbai dressing room [with top players], to learn so many things, was a different education and experience for me. The Mumbai dressing room…all my friends - seniors and juniors - that is something I will definitely miss. I will also miss the Mumbai logo on my jersey, something I had dreamt of wearing."

Tare scored 8,541 domestic runs and had 480 dismissals across three formats. He played some vital knocks and earned the man-of-the-match awards in both Vijay Hazare Trophy triumphs in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

"I've had some success and endured criticism for failures, but the moments spent with my teammates during those wins and losses have been my most enjoyable memories.

"It's time for new challenges, a new environment. I am excited going into this new phase of my playing career and I have much to offer," remarked Tare, who led the Mumbai team in the 2016-17 Ranji final which they lost to Gujarat.

The sadness in his voice was noticeable on Monday: "I won't lie, it does hurt a bit the way things ended. But it's difficult to put into words how I feel about moving on from Mumbai. Since I was 16, when I got my first Mumbai cap [U-17], until today at 34, I have enjoyed myself, played with absolute pride and lived my dream of being a Mumbai player."