R Ashwin will play county cricket for the first time. (Source: Reuters) R Ashwin will play county cricket for the first time. (Source: Reuters)
Four Indian players are set to feature in the county season after the Sri Lanka Test series is over. Off-spinner R Ashwin will lead the pack after he is confirmed to play for Worcestershire as he is rested for the limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka, an ESPNcricinfo report said on Monday.
Apart from Ashwin, India fast bowler Ishant Sharma and batsman Cheteshwar Pujara are also confirmed to play the Championship. The fourth player is left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja but which team he will play for is yet to be confirmed. None of the four players are part of India’s squad for the ODI series and the one-off T20I match that was announced on Sunday.
Ishant will play for Warwickshire while Pujara will continue his stint with Nottinghamshire for whom he played before the Sri Lanka series and scored a century as well. Both Ashwin and Pujara can be playing against each other when Worcestershire play Nottinghamshire beginning September 5.
Worcestershire are looking for a promotion to the top division from the second division and Ashwin could be a big weapon for them. But if the Indian off-spinner is recalled for the home one-day international series against Australia scheduled for end September-early October, he may only end up play two games for them.
India are scheduled for long tour of England next year and this county stint could prove handy for the Indian players. India captain Virat Kohli had also said earlier that he “would love” to play county cricket. India had lost the previous Test series in England 3-1.
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