Worcestershire on Friday announced the signing of India pacer Navdeep Saini as their second overseas player for the upcoming four matches of the ongoing County Championship season.
Notably, Saini has represented India in two Tests, eight ODIs, and 11 T20Is. Saini also had a brief stint with Kent in last year’s County Championship, where he scalped 11 wickets in two matches, including match figures of 7-111 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, lace with 5-72 in the first innings.
“I enjoyed my brief time with Kent and I am excited about a more extended period with Worcestershire. Hopefully, I can contribute to their promotion push while also continuing to develop my own skills. I am aware that Indian players such as Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan, and Ravichandran Ashwin have previously played for Worcestershire and achieved success. I also aim to make a significant impact and hit the ground running on Sunday,” he said in a statement.
Saini, 30 is set to make his Worcestershire debut in Sunday’s clash against Derbyshire at New Road and will also be available for the home fixture against Yorkshire, starting on July 10. He will also be part of the away matches against Leicestershire at Oakham School on July 19, and Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College on July 26.
In IPL, Saini has been a part of the Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Rajasthan Royals and has picked 174 wickets in 60 first-class matches.
“Navdeep has signed for the next four Championship matches, until the end of July, essentially. He has an impressive track record, having played for India in all formats, and he performed well for Kent last summer, gaining valuable experience of English cricket,” said Paul Pridgeon, Chair of the Worcestershire Cricket Steering Group.
“We felt it was crucial to strengthen our bowling department. With Charlie’s departure, Josh’s involvement with England, and a few injury setbacks, we are entering a crucial phase of the Championship season, where we are in contention at the upper end of the table. Therefore, it was important to have the right numbers and quality,” added Pridgeon.