Rated highly by all Test playing nations, County cricket in England is the finest place for any overseas cricketer to get first-hand experiences of swinging and seaming conditions. Recently, a lot of Indian stars have signed on the dotted lines for various County teams this season with the latest being experienced seamer Umesh Yadav. (More Cricket News)
The 34-year-old Umesh replaced Pakistan counterpart Shaheen Shah Afridi at Middlesex for the rest of 2022 season that includes club's County Championship and One-Day Cup matches. Umesh got his maiden County wicket for Middlesex when he went through the defence of Taylor Cornall of Worcestershire.
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Before Umesh, veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini and Krunal Pandya have also penned down contracts in County cricket this season. Over the decades, several Indians have plied their trade in County cricket that helped them gaining much-needed exposure to perform consistently at the top level.
Let’s take look at five Indians who had interesting County stints over the years:
Bishan Singh Bedi
Bishan Singh Bedi was one of the most productive Indian players to have made a name for himself in County cricket. A member of India’s famous spin quartet, Bedi, slow left-arm orthodox spinner, played 102 games for Northamptonshire between 1972 and 1977. During his time with Northamptonshire, Bedi took 434 wickets in six seasons.
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Farokh Engineer
One of the swashbuckling batters India has ever produced, Farokh Engineer ruled in Lancashire colours during his time in County cricket. The former India wicketkeeper played 175 matches for the Red Roses from 1968 to 1976, scoring 5,942 runs, holding 429 catches and claiming 35 stumpings.
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
Hailed as one of best Indian captains, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi played county cricket between 1957 and 1970. Playing for Sussex, Tiger Pataudi (his nickname) appeared in 137 first-class matches scoring 3054 runs. He had also captained Sussex in 1966.
Murali Kartik
Murali Kartik is one of the most tenured Indian players to play in County cricket. The former India spinner played for four different County teams – Lancashire (2005-06), Middlesex (2007-09), Somerset (2010-11) and Surrey (2012) – during his time. He was also the first overseas player to take 10 wickets on debut for Lancashire.
Anil Kumble
Former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble’s County stint lasted for 11 years playing for three different teams in 32 matches between 1995 and 2006. Kumble played for Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Surrey during his time in England. He will be best remembered for his breakthrough 1995 season when he took 105 wickets helping Northamptonshire to third spot in points table.
