Indian wicketkeeper-batter signs with Nottinghamshire for County Championship stint

India’s wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has signed a short-term deal with Nottinghamshire to play in two matches of the ongoing County Championship Division One. This marks Kishan’s debut appearance in county cricket.

The 26-year-old will replace South Africa’s Kyle Verreynne, who is leaving to join his national team for the upcoming Test series against Zimbabwe. Kishan will be available for Nottinghamshire’s home game against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge starting June 22, and will also play the away match against Somerset at Taunton from June 29.

Sharing his excitement, Kishan said he is looking forward to experiencing English conditions and using the opportunity to improve his game.

“I’m feeling very excited to get my first taste of playing county cricket in England, and it will be a great chance to showcase my skills. I want to make sure I am the best cricketer I can be and playing in English conditions will really help me to learn new skills," he said. 

"Trent Bridge is such a famous ground that is well-known in India and around the world, and I am really excited that I will be playing there,” Kishan added.

Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores welcomed the signing, praising Kishan’s hunger to develop his red-ball game.

“We want players to be themselves and to bring their own game, and something that especially excites me about Ishan is how keen he is to be involved in county cricket," he said. 

"He brings proven quality in his ball-striking as a hard-hitting middle-order batter, and he’s keen to move his red-ball game forward, which I’m sure will make him hungry to perform,” Moores added.

Nottinghamshire currently sit at the top of the Division One standings with four wins from seven matches and a total of 115 points.

Kishan becomes the fourth Indian cricketer to feature in this season’s County Championship. Tilak Varma is with Hampshire on a short-term contract, Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to join Yorkshire later this summer, and Yuzvendra Chahal will return to Northamptonshire in the coming weeks.