Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore has been signed by Surrey for a short-term County Championship stint from late July.
Sai Kishore signs for defending champions Surrey
Sai Kishore will be available for Surrey’s next two Championship matches: against Yorkshire at Scarborough between July 22 and 25 and against Durham between July 29 and August 1 at Chester-le-Street.
The announcement comes the lanky spinner’s successful campaign with Tiruppur Tamizhan, where he led them to their maiden Tamil Nadu Premier League title. He finished as the tournament’s joint-fifth-highest wicket-taker (12 wickets at an average of 15.50). Most impressively, his economy rate of 5.44 was the second-best among all bowlers who played at least three matches.
"I’m really excited to be joining Surrey for the next two County Championship matches. 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," Sai Kishore was quoted as saying in a statement from Surrey.
Alec Stewart, Surrey's high-performance advisor, said: "I’m delighted to bring the highly rated Sai Kishore into our squad for the next two Kookaburra games.
"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."
Honoured to wear the Surrey badge for the first time. Can’t wait to get going! 🙌🏽🤎🧿 https://t.co/KcZnqiZBeb
— Sai Kishore (@saik_99) July 7, 2025
What are R Sai Kishore's numbers?
Since making his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans in 2022, Sai Kishore has featured in 25 IPL matches, claiming 32 wickets at an average of 20.34 and an economy rate of 8.85. Nineteen of those wickets came during the 2025 season at an economy of 9.24, playing a key role in GT’s playoff run. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker among spinners this year, trailing only Noor Ahmad, who took 24 wickets at 17.00 and 8.16. He has also played three T20Is for India, all coming in the triumphant 2023 Asian Games campaign.
In red-ball cricket, Sai Kishore has been a regular performer in the domestic circuit. His 190 wickets in 46 first-class matches at an average of 23.51 and an economy of 2.76 attest to his consistency. During the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, he emerged as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 53 scalps in nine matches at an average of 18.52, powering Tamil Nadu to the semi-finals.
Surrey currently reign atop the Division One Championship table. The defending champions are eyeing their fourth consecutive title, having recorded three wins and six draws from nine matches.
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