Mumbai: At the age of 19, Sachin Tendulkar made headlines in the cricket world in 1992 when he became Yorkshire's first international player. That's how important county cricket was.

That Ruturaj Gaikwad is about to play for the same County thirty years later is a footnote. The 28-year-old won't mind, though, because a strong performance might lead to new opportunities in red-ball cricket. Most cricket fans identify Gaikwad as an IPL star, similar to many other talented Indian hitters who have not yet earned the Test cap. The chance to show off his batting skills internationally will please the captain of the CSK.

There will be a lot of Indian company for Gaikwad. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma are now having brief periods with Northamptonshire and Hampshire, respectively. Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed has signed a contract with Essex, and Yuzvendra Chahal will soon be joining Northants.

Top Up

These brief periods in England are ideal for Indian players, whether they are discarded or on the periphery of selection. These periods are more valuable than spending a peaceful vacation or monsoon season at home.

People think I am (only) good at T20 cricket since I am ranked third in the format, but I have always maintained that I can also be a good Test player, Varma told Hampshire media. "I like playing close to the body, being challenged, especially in English conditions."

On his debut, Varma hit a century. And even though Kishan is only competing in two championship games as he tries to regain the confidence of national selectors after being accused of ignoring domestic cricket, a score of 87 against a bowling attack that included Kiwi fast bowler Will O'Rourke and English off-spinner Dom Bess would have given him brownie points.

After T20 leagues gained popularity, the quality of County cricket has undoubtedly suffered. Many of today's County organizations are transactional, but Tendulkar would go about in his car with his name painted on the side. Internationals jump in and out of their more lucrative obligations.

Despite this, there is value in playing County cricket with a specific caliber of players who are not a good fit for the demands of T20 cricket, such as Tom Latham, Matt Henry, Dean Elgar, Jack Leach, and others, as it strengthens the playing pool. Additionally, England players like Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell, who play to be ready for Tests, have recently joined the team.

Not everyone sees winning a Test cap as the Holy Grail anymore. However, all-format dominance remains a reality for Indian cricketers who are prohibited from turning into international T20 pros. The County approach to selecting tests acts as a backup checklist for the selectors. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar made reference to the County experiences of Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Arshdeep Singh, three members of the current Indian team in England.

Improving skills

There's also the possibility of perfecting your game in England by becoming acquainted with the Dukes ball. It can be enlightening to handle a ball that swings all day and cold temperatures.

“For the first 25 pitches of my debut County game, I was stuck on zero. Where am I going to find the runs, I pondered? "That's when the switch happened in my head that it doesn't matter if you don't score runs in a particular period, but if you can hang in there, you can get out of tough situations, you will get a lot of runs later," Nair recalled on R Ashwin's YouTube channel.

Last year, Nair played seven games and scored a total of 487 runs, with an average of 48.7. Following his dismissal from the Karnataka team, Nair's County runs supported his efforts for Ranji champions Vidarbha, laying the groundwork for his return to the Test squad.

Making County deals can occasionally be made simpler by IPL connections. Former KKR teammate Phil Salt suggested that Venkatesh Iyer sign a contract with Lancashire last year. The Hyderabad-based GMR Group, which also owns Hampshire, recruited Varma through its subsidiary. The Delhi Capitals are jointly owned by GMR.

Priyank Panchal, who recently gave up on his ambition to play for India and retired, could have benefited from having County games to his name as well. Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who were not selected for the IPL this season, would also be looking for suitors in order to get County experience.

India There are not many A trips. When competition is fierce and team management is occasionally guilty of confirmation bias, of not always giving Ranji players high marks, every additional quality counts in the end.

Read Also: India Need to Ease Pressure on Bumrah: Azharuddin Defends Shubman Gill

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!