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Star spinner R Sai Kishore has recently signed a deal with Surrey to feature in Division One of the County Championship. The 28-year-old cricketer is scheduled to participate in two first-class matches for the team towards the end of July.
Sai Kishore joins Surrey
This news comes shortly after Sai Kishore led his team, Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans, to title win in Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2025 as they defeated R Ashwin's Dindigul Dragons by a massive margin of 118 runs in the final clash.
His initial appearance for Surrey is anticipated to be in Scarborough, where an interesting prospect awaits, Sai Kishore could potentially face off against his former Chennai Super Kings teammate, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has signed with Yorkshire. Sai Kishore's brief stint with Surrey will conclude with a game against Durham in Chester-le-Street, with the match slated to take place from July 29th to August 1.
"I'm really excited to be joining Surrey for the next two County Championship matches. Surrey are one of the most prestigious clubs in the world and I have heard great things about the set-up from lots of different people in the game," Sai Kishore said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Surrey's high-performance advisor Alec Stewart said:
"I'm delighted to bring the highly rated Sai Kishore into our squad for the next two Kookaburra games," Stewart said. "All the reports I have received from people I respect in the Indian game have spoken highly of him. His four-day record for Tamil Nadu is very good and he brings leadership experience to the group."
Kishore boasts an impressive record in red-ball cricket, having taken 192 wickets in 46 first-class matches with an average of 23.51 and an economy rate of 2.76. His exceptional performance in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season saw him emerge as the highest wicket-taker, claiming 53 wickets in nine games at an average of 18.52, contributing significantly to Tamil Nadu's journey to the semi-finals. Despite his strong domestic record, Kishore has recently seen himself lower in the national team's red-ball selection hierarchy, with Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey receiving call-ups for the India A tour of England. His upcoming stint with Surrey presents a valuable opportunity for Sai Kishore to strengthen his case for national selection in red-ball cricket and to fine-tune his skills in preparation for the 2025-26 domestic season in India.
Kishore has prior experience with English playing conditions, having been a reserve player with the Indian touring side in 2022. During a tour game at Grace Road in Leicester, he bowled 14 overs against the Indians and successfully dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara for 22 runs. To date, Sai Kishore has featured in three matches for India, all of which were T20 Internationals. Following his county cricket engagement, he may potentially represent Tamil Nadu in the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament as part of his preparations for the Ranji Trophy. Under his captaincy, Tamil Nadu has consistently reached the knockout stages of the Ranji Trophy in the past two seasons.
Surrey, having secured three consecutive county championship titles, are aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive win this season. Sai Kishore will be joining his long-time teammate from Gujarat Titans (GT) and Tamil Nadu, B Sai Sudharsan, who has been an integral part of Surrey's championship-winning campaigns in 2023 and 2024.
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