India’s leg-spinner Rahul Chahar is set to boost Surrey’s chances in the County Championship as he joins the team for their crucial final match against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl this week. With Surrey trailing leaders Nottinghamshire by 14 points, they must win this game and hope Nottinghamshire earns fewer than 11 points in their own finale against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge.
The 26-year-old spinner registered with Surrey in early September for the season’s closing stages. He didn’t feature in their previous two home games at the Kia Oval against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire, but now he’s ready to step up against Hampshire.
Chahar shines in domestic cricket, regularly playing for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy. He’s earned seven caps for India in white-ball formats. In first-class cricket, he’s claimed 87 wickets across 24 matches with an average of 26.12, including his best figures of 9 for 148.
His IPL career kicked off with Rising Pune Supergiants, but he truly broke through with Mumbai Indians, where he helped them lift the trophy in 2019 and 2020. Chahar moved to Punjab Kings in 2022 and wrapped up last season with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“I’m excited to join Surrey for this week’s match,” Chahar said in a club statement. “I’m here to make an impact and help the team in their final push of the season.”
Surrey needed a spin option after injuries sidelined their regular spinners, Will Jacks and Cam Steel. High-performance advisor Alec Stewart explained the move: “Adding Rahul gives us another strong spin choice at the Utilita Bowl. We knew we’d miss players toward the end, so we planned for the pitches and opponents ahead.”
Stewart added that they had lined up Sai Kishore for a return, but a finger injury forced surgery and ruled him out. Now, with Chahar on board, Surrey aims to keep their title hopes alive in the County Championship race.
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