Navdeep Saini emulates Rahul Dravid: The 2nd Indian cricketer to play for Kent in English County

The
pacer
will
wear
his
preferred
shirt
number
96
and
will
follow
in
the
footsteps
of
Rahul
Dravid
to
become
the
second
Indian
Test
cricketer
to
play
for
the
county.

Saini,
who
has
slipped
off
the
radar
as
far
as
national
reckoning
is
concerned,
was
a
net
bowler
for
the
Indian
team
ahead
of
its
rescheduled
fifth
Test
against
England
in
Birmingham
at
the
start
of
this
month.

“Kent
Cricket
is
delighted
to
announce
the
signing
of
India
international
fast
bowler
Navdeep
Saini
for
up
to
three
County
Championship
and
five
Royal
London
Cup
matches,
subject
to
visa
and
regulatory
approval,”
Kent
announced
on
its
website.

The
29-year-old
has
represented
his
country
in
all
forms
of
the
game
after
making
his
T20I
debut
for
India
in
August
2019.

The
Kent
county
has
lavished
praise
on
India’s
reserve
pacer.

“Hailed
as
one
of
the
top
five
fastest
Indian
bowlers
in
world
cricket,
Saini
is
capable
of
clocking
95mph
and
has
taken
148
first-class
wickets
at
28.80
with
a
career
bowling
economy
of
2.92,”
the
website
stated.

On
joining
Kent
Cricket,
Saini
said:
“It’s
a
great
opportunity
to
play
county
cricket
and
I’m
looking
forward
to
giving
my
all
for
Kent.”

Kent’s
Director
of
Cricket
and
former
England
keeper
Paul
Downton,
said:
“In
a
year
when
it’s
been
difficult
to
take
wickets,
we
are
excited
to
have
the
opportunity
to
add
a
fast
bowler
of
Navdeep’s
quality
to
our
squad.”

Rahul
Dravid
at
Kent

Dravid
played
for
Kent
for
a
season
2000,
a
time
when
his
white
ball
career
was
not
taking
off
as
expected.
The
Bangalorean
played
16
County
matches
for
the
team
that
was
based
on
Sophia
Gardens.

The
stint
of
Dravid
was
an
absolute
cracker
as
he
scored
1221
runs
for
Kent
at
an
average
of
55.50
with
two
hundreds,
easily
one
of
the
most
successful
stint
by
an
Indian
cricketer
in
English
county
cricket.