- July 11, 2025
When County Cricket comes to mind, it might be difficult to think of many – if any – Indian names, but that is changing quickly. India’s busy domestic and international calendar means that a player who can make an impression (and wiggle free) in the English county game must have something special. And now, Sai Kishore, the tall left-arm spinner from Tamil Nadu, is the latest name added to the growing list of Indians to have worn the Surrey jersey in the County Championship. Let’s backtrack a little way and look at five Indian cricketers who have influenced Surrey, including another Sai you might already know.
Twin Sais, One County Dream: Kishore Spins in as Sudharsan Sets the Tone
Surrey has a fondness for players named Sai – and why not when both deliver?
Sai Kishore’s signing is also well-timed, with Surrey eager to strengthen their spin options during some important matches. While he is still waiting for his India Test debut, his domestic stats speak for themselves: 192 wickets in 46 first-class matches at an average of 23.51, including 12 five-fors. Pretty elite consistency.
Ironically, Sudharsan’s state teammate was already ahead of him in the Surrey cap, Sai Sudharsan. Sudharsan played five matches between 2023 to 2024 and made a huge impression not just with the performances, but more shockingly, he showed a maturity that belied his youth. A 100 and a 50 in overseas conditions and an average of 35.12 is not bad for a 23-year-old.
From Spin Royalty to County Classics: Ashwin, Harbhajan, and Ojha
If Surrey’s spinners were a Wall of Fame – there would not only be multiple Indian legends. Ravichandran Ashwin had a brief and memorable debut for Surrey in 2021. He opened the bowling – yes, a spinner – in a county match after we had not seen this in a county match for more than a decade. His performance in the match with 7 wickets and a second innings of 6/27 was a classic performance from Ashwin.
Harbhajan Singh, long before Ashwin, also had a pair of stints with Surrey in 2005 and 2007. He only played 10 games but had 57 wickets at an average of 21.10. He also had a strike rate of under 50, which is a touch of vintage Bhajji. And he didn’t just take wickets; he scored 84 runs at Surrey—I’m sure some of the Surrey loyalists are still grateful for his presence (albeit not his batting and bowling).
Then there is Pragyan Ojha, perhaps the best underrated player. He took 24 wickets at an average of 12.95 in just four matches in 2011. His 6/8 against Northamptonshire is still the talk of Riverside dressing rooms.
Zaheer Khan’s Short Stop: A Tale of What Could’ve Been
Not every county stint ends with a bang. Sometimes an appearance is just a cameo, for example, it’s Zaheer Khan’s stint in 2004, where for Surrey, against Kent, he played one match and made little impact – one wicket in two innings.
Injuries shortened his stay, so he departed for India before the second game. But to take the plunge with County cricket at a time when few Indian pacers even contemplated the fact. It is this sort of thing – spirit and attitude – that, in the end, provided the impetus for Indian quicks in later generations to be able to play in all conditions.
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