R Sai Kishore Signs with Surrey for County Championship Stint

Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore is set to make his county cricket debut, having signed with defending County Championship champions Surrey for two Division One matches later this month. The 28-year-old will be available for Surrey’s fixtures against Yorkshire and Durham in July.

Sai Kishore’s first game is scheduled to be played at Scarborough, where he could face his former Chennai Super Kings teammate Ruturaj Gaikwad, who recently signed with Yorkshire. His second and final outing will be against Durham at Chester-le-Street from July 29 to August 1.

"I'm really excited to be joining Surrey for the next two County Championship matches," Sai Kishore said in a statement. "Surrey are one of the most prestigious clubs in the world and I have heard great things about the set-up from lots of different people in the game."

Surrey's high-performance advisor Alec Stewart also expressed confidence in the Tamil Nadu spinner. "I'm delighted to bring the highly rated Sai Kishore into our squad for the next two Kookaburra games," Stewart said. "All the reports I have received from people I respect in the Indian game have spoken highly of him. His four-day record for Tamil Nadu is very good and he brings leadership experience to the group."

This marks a new chapter in Sai Kishore’s career, which has been dominated by T20 cricket in recent months. He was a standout performer in IPL 2025, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker among spinners with 19 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 9.24 for Gujarat Titans. He recently led his club to their maiden Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) title as well.

Sai Kishore’s red-ball credentials are equally impressive. He has taken 192 wickets in 46 first-class games at an average of 23.51 and an economy of 2.76. In the 2023–24 Ranji Trophy season, he was the highest wicket-taker, claiming 53 scalps in nine matches at an average of 18.52, helping Tamil Nadu reach the semi-finals.

Despite his domestic success, Sai Kishore has slipped behind in the national red-ball pecking order, with Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey being preferred for India A’s tour of England. The brief stint with Surrey provides an opportunity for the spinner to showcase his skills in English conditions and make a stronger case for national selection ahead of the 2025–26 Indian domestic season.

Sai Kishore has some prior experience in England, having toured as a reserve with the Indian team in 2022. He bowled 14 overs in a warm-up game against India, dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara for 22 at Grace Road in Leicester.

He has represented India in three T20 Internationals and is expected to return to Tamil Nadu duties for the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament ahead of the Ranji Trophy. Under his captaincy, Tamil Nadu has reached the Ranji knockouts in the last two seasons.

Surrey, who are chasing a fourth consecutive County Championship title, will be hoping Sai Kishore can play a key role in their quest. His long-time Tamil Nadu and Gujarat Titans teammate B Sai Sudharsan was part of Surrey's title-winning squads in 2023 and 2024.