Similar to India’s Ranji Trophy, which is a red ball domestic tournament with 38 teams and where many young test players are prepared, England has the County Championship, where future test cricketers from England are developed. The main difference is that the English County Championship allows a limited number of overseas players to play County Cricket as well, and as a result of this rule, some of Indian cricket’s biggest stars have tried their hand at County Cricket.
Since the championship’s inception in 1890, there have been 18 county teams named after historic counties, 17 of which are from England and one from Wales. The County Championship is divided into two divisions: home and away four-day fixtures. The County Championship 2022 season is currently underway, and there is an Indian player making waves there, so we are here to provide you with information on the other Indian players as well. So, let’s get started.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
There is no other player more popular than Sachin Tendulkar, and he, too, tried his hand at County Cricket, and in doing so, he made history by becoming the first ever overseas player to play for Yorkshire county and he was there for a fair bit of time as he played 16 Matches for them, and his first match was on 7th May and at Headingley he made a stunning 107 runs that made the crowd stand on their feet and applaud. In 16 County Championship matches, he scored 1076 runs.
2. Cheteshwar Pujara
Now, let’s talk about the most recent popular Indian player to play County Cricket and why we’re writing this article. He recently joined the Sussex County team and made an immediate impact last night, as Pujara was out first ball in the first innings of this match, but he was determined to make amends. Cheteshwar Pujara stepped up after Sussex only made 174 in their first innings and were trailing. He went about his business in the second innings, playing 387 balls and making an outstanding 201* with the help of 23 fours, and the match was drawn.
3. Gautam Gambhir
He is also one of the most well-known Indian players in County Cricket. When he was struggling to find form with the bat in 2013, he decided to play red ball domestic cricket in England, and Gautam Gambhir joined Essex County in 2013 and played 5 matches for them. It was a brief appearance, but it helped him regain his batting form.
4. Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid’s turn to play the County Championship came in the year 2000, and he represented Kent County in the tournament, and he was absolutely incredible. He scored an incredible 1221 runs in just 16 matches at an average of 55.50, including two great hundreds, and his batting form greatly improved after this stint with Kent.
5. Bishan Singh Bedi
Bishan Singh Bedi, who played more than 100 matches for Northamptonshire, was one of the most long-term and outstanding performers by an Indian player in the county championship. He appeared in 102 county matches and took 394 wickets at an average of 21.16. He also had 23 five-wicket hauls for that team and was one of the best overseas players in County Cricket history.
6. Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar also played county cricket, and he played 15 matches for Somerset County in 1980, during which he was in excellent form. He scored 686 runs in 15 County Matches for a healthy average of 34.29. During his time at Surrey, his second innings classic of 138 against Surrey stood out. This experience also aided him in the later stages of his international career.
7. Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble, India’s greatest spinner also played a fair amount of County Cricket during his illustrious career. From 1995 to 2006, he represented Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Surrey counties, appearing in 32 matches. In the 1995 season, he picked 105 wickets at an average of 20.40. He left an indelible mark on this competition, as he does on all others.
8. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly, who played for Glamorgan, Northamptonshire, and Lancashire from 2000 to 2006, was another player who played a lot of County Cricket. His first stint was with Lancashire, where he scored 671 runs at an average of 31.95, including six half-centuries in 21 innings. He joined Glamorgan in 2005 and scored one century and two half centuries at an average of over 62.
9. Murali Karthik
He is one of the longest-serving Indian players in the County Championship. He was a member of four different counties between 2005 and 2012. He played for Lancashire from 2005 to 2006, then Middlesex from 2007 to 2009, Somerset from 2010 to 2011, and finally Surrey County in 2012. He became Lancashire’s first overseas player to take ten wickets in his debut.
10. Dilip Doshi
The final player we will discuss here is Dilip Doshi, an Indian spinner who was a star overseas performer in the county championship. He appeared in 73 matches between 1977 and 1981, representing two teams: Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, and he took 246 wickets at an average of 32.07. He has eight five-wicket hauls to his credit.
