After signing a deal with Kent, fast bowler Navdeep Saini has become the most recent Indian cricketer to final a contract with a county team. Saini, who competes in domestic cricket for Delhi and was a member of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) squad in the IPL 2022, last represented India on a tour of Sri Lanka a year ago.
Depending on his visa and regulatory permission, Navdeep Saini will be taking part in five Royal London Cup games and three County Championship matches. He follows Cheteshwar Pujara (Sussex), Washington Sundar (Lancashire), Krunal Pandya (Warwickshire), and Umesh Yadav as the sixth Indian player to secure a county contract in 2022. (Middlesex).
In a statement issued by Kent, “It’s a great opportunity to play county cricket and I’m looking forward to giving my all for Kent.”
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Navdeep Saini is scheduled to play with New Zealand seamer Matt Henry, who will b making a comeback to Kent for a second term after making an impression in 2018 and might make his debut against Warwickshire the following week. They also have South African all-rounder George Linde in their squad, but counties are only allowed to dress two foreign players in a starting lineup.
.@navdeepsaini96 is a Spitfire ✈#TeamIndia 🇮🇳 #SuperKent pic.twitter.com/VNjCaHtazE
— Kent Spitfires (@KentCricket) July 15, 2022
With five matches left in the season, Kent sits eighth in the 10-team Division One after they suffered a loss against Northamptonshire this week. Kent has struggled to collect Championship wickets all season owing to a combination of fitness, form, and flat grounds.
Their director of cricket, Paul Downton, decided to enter the transfer market as a result of their lack of success with the ball. he said, “In a year when it’s been difficult to take wickets, we’re excited to have the opportunity to add a fast bowler of Navdeep’s quality to our squad.”
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The Royal London Cup runs concurrently with the Hundred, and the ECB is miffed that no Indian cricketers are allowed to take part in the new 100-ball competition. The BCCI forbids current players from competing in any foreign short-form tournaments, although Saini and other recent India internationals will participate in the second-string 50-over competition.
