India spinner Ashwin signs up with Yorkshire for county stint

PTI, Jan 16, 2020, 3:08 PM IST

London: Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will play for Yorkshire during this year’s English County Championship, the club said on Thursday.

Ashwin, 33, who will play for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming Indian Premier League, will be Yorkshire’s main overseas spinner following South African Keshav Maharaj’s stint in 2019.

Ashwin is scheduled to feature in a minimum of eight County Championship fixtures for the White Rose next season after the conclusion of his IPL commitments followed by a short period of rest at the BCCI’s request.

It will be Ashwin’s third county stint, having represented Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire in the past.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Yorkshire, a club with a wonderful history and a fantastic fan base. I think our team looks extremely talented with some superb pace bowlers and exciting batsmen,” Ashwin told the club’s website.

“Headingley has always been a fantastic venue to play at. People speak about the overhead conditions playing a big part so let’s hope for plenty of suns,” he added.

“I love playing First-Class cricket and have enjoyed my two previous spells with Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire. My role will be to score runs and take wickets but it will be a collective effort if we are to win the title,” he added.

Ashwin said it was great to represent a club, where batting great Sachin Tendulkar plied his trade in the past.

“I feel I have been consistent over a long period of time which has helped my success for India. I know a lot about Yorkshire and to follow in the footsteps of Sachin, who played for the county many years ago is a wonderful feeling for me,” he said.

The off-spinner from Chennai has taken 362 wickets in 70 Tests, 254 of those in 43 home Tests and recently claimed his 27th five-wicket haul in the longest format.