5 Indian players who should play county cricket ahead of England tour
County Cricket championships are one of those competitions that help players from various countries hone their cricketing skills and establish themselves in the highest league. Numerous legends of the game like Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Akram have acknowledged the impact of County cricket and how it helped them become top cricketers. However, the participation of players in county cricket these days has become rare due to the tight cricketing schedules.
When India won the series in England in 2007, Zaheer Khan’s contribution was immense. His county stint with Worcestershire, where he picked 78 wickets in 16 games, helped him to regain his place in the national side and he was instrumental in India’s success.
As far as the participation of current Indian players is concerned, it’s endearing to watch the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, and Ravi Ashwin excel in county cricket and get accustomed to the English conditions. However, there are other key players who could benefit a lot by participating in county cricket before the marathon Test series begins against England.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul is one of India’s highly rated Test batsman and his record in subcontinent conditions is brilliant. The right-handed batsman has a stern defense and plays all the shots in the book, but he has also shown signs of vulnerability against the moving ball. In the recently concluded Test series against South Africa, Rahul was found wanting in seaming conditions against the likes of Philander and Rabada which dented his confidence.
The 26-year-old is a natural stroke maker, but when it comes to seaming conditions, he has to curb his natural instincts and leave a lot of balls outside the off stump like his counterpart Murali Vijay in order to be successful. Having a short stint with any of the county sides will do a world of good for the Karnataka batsman.