India international leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, 33, to join Kent for County Championship Division 1 run-in

An Indian international leg-spinner is to join Kent for their County Championship Division 1 run-in.

Yuzvendra Chahal, 33, is the second Indian international to feature for them in 2023 after left-arm seam bowler Arshdeep Singh also played for Kent earlier in the summer.

He said: “This is an exciting challenge for me, playing in English county cricket, and one I’m very much looking forward to.”

Chahal will be available for Kent’s home red-ball game against Nottinghamshire at Canterbury, which starts this Sunday, after missing out on being part of India's Cricket World Cup squad.

Matt Walker’s men then end their campaign with a trip to Somerset and another home game against Lancashire at Canterbury, as they aim to avoid Division 1 relegation.

A seasoned white-ball international, Chahal has 87 wickets to date in 33 first-class appearances with best figures of 6-44 coming for his native Haryana against Hyderabad in India’s Ranji Trophy.

Retiring Kent director of cricket Paul Downton, who will be replaced in the role by Simon Cook from October, added: “We’re delighted to have secured a spinner of Yuzvendra’s quality for the last three Championship matches of the season with Matt Parkinson not available to us until next year and Hamid Qadri recently injured.

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“He’s really looking forward to playing in English conditions and will bring a significant amount of skill and international experience to our squad.”

Also previously an Indian youth international in the sport of chess, Chahal is set to play for Kent alongside New Zealand seam bowler Ben Lister.