Picking a playing XI of Indians who have played County Cricket ft. Sachin Tendulkar and Cheteshwar Pujara
County cricket is often a haven for cricketers around the world, whether it be an emerging player or a veteran. The competition and the high regard with which the domestic competition is revered in England often make it an ideal destination for players who either want to prove themselves or stay in rhythm during the off-season.
There is a fair share of Indian representation in the high-quality red-ball competition as well. Some of India's best players have represented counties over the years, a tradition which is held true to this day.
With the BCCI forbidding Indian players to partake in overseas T20 leagues, which is the current trend, the packed bench of Team India often explores the possibility of playing county cricket.
The recent name to make the list is leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. He is not someone who is naturally associated with red-ball cricket but is all set to represent Kent in the County Championship.
Chahal was not included in Team India's squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup and will be hoping that a fruitful spell in England paves the way to a potential comeback.
On that note, let us make a playing XI of Indians to have played county cricket.
Openers: Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar was the first Indian player in history to play county cricket after bagging a deal with Somerset in 1980.
He amassed 686 runs from 15 first-class matches at an average of 34.29. Gavaskar scored two centuries during his stint, including a memorable 123 in a one-run loss to Kent.
Not many envisioned Virender Sehwag to succeed in red-ball cricket for a long period of time, considering his aggressive playing style. However, a promotion to the top of the order cemented his place in the Indian team. After his initial success with Team India, which included a century on debut, he represented Leicestershire.
He joined the squad following the 2003 ODI World Cup and he scored 478 runs in 10 matches, before a back injury forced him to withdraw from the squad.
Middle order: Rahul Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly
After having made a promising debut at Lord's in 1996, Rahul Dravid played in the County Championship across two different stints in 2000 and 2003, for Kent and Scotland, respectively. He scored 1221 runs in 16 first-class matches at an average of 55.50, with two centuries in his first stint.
Cheteshwar Pujara revived his career through a prolific stint in the County Championship. The right-handed batter was dropped for the home series against Sri Lanka in 2022 but responded strongly by performing exceedingly well for Sussex, leading to a comeback to the national team. Apart from Sussex, he has played for Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire over the course of his career.
Sachin Tendulkar was the first overseas signing made by Yorkshire. The legendary batter had made quite an impression as an 18-year-old with a ton in his maiden tour of England, and following his rise in the sport, he was roped in by Yorkshire in 1992. Tendulkar scored 1070 runs in 16 matches for the team but failed to score a single hundred.
The Little Master did manage to score a ton at Yorkshire's home venue - Leeds - but in Indian colors during their tour of England in 2022. Tendulkar has fond memories of his time with Yorkshire, remarking that:
"I will always remember this as one of the greatest four and a half months I've spent in my life."
Sourav Ganguly turned up to the County Championship three times in 2000, 2005, and 2006. He managed 671 runs from 21 innings at an average of 31.95, with six fifties, with his highest score being 99.
All-rounders and bowlers: Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, and Zaheer Khan
Yuvraj Singh became the second Indian player after Sachin Tendulkar to play for Yorkshire in the County Championship. His numbers from the stint reflected his struggles in red-ball cricket as he averaged only 14.55 in 12 first-class innings.
Ravichandran Ashwin has often been on the sidelines when India have toured England for a red-ball series, largely due to the composition of the playing XI. However, he had a notable county stint for Surrey, where he became just the first spinner to open the bowling in almost 11 years. Prior to that he also represented Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire, while returning solid numbers with the bat as well.
Former India captain Anil Kumble has also played his hand in county cricket, much like fellow leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is about to. He dominated the 1995 season with Northamptonshire, picking up 105 wickets at an average of 20.40, and ended up as the leading wicket-taker.
Javagal Srinath, much like Anil Kumble, played county cricket in 1995. The right-arm pacer also enjoyed a prolific campaign for Gloucestershire. He took 87 wickets in the season, ending as the fifth-highest wicket-taker.
Zaheer Khan had a credible red-ball record in England and has two different stints in the country's domestic circuit to his name. The left-arm seamer only played one match for Surrey in his maiden stint in 2004. But 78 first-class wickets from 16 games in his second stint in 2006 while representing Worcestershire helped a great deal in his career.
Which players from the current squad might play County Cricket in the near future? Let us know what you think.