Several Indian players seized the opportunity to play in the County Championship 2025 during the off-season of domestic cricket, using it to bolster their case for representing India and gain valuable experience in challenging conditions. Some players are international regulars already, such as Tilak Varma in T20Is and Washington Sundar in Tests.
Here’s a list of players who were a part of England’s domestic season.
Tilak Varma was the standout performer for Hampshire in the County Championship 2025. The southpaw batter is primarily known for his explosive batting in white-ball cricket. But he showed incredible adaptability and patience in the longer format, hitting a century on his debut clash against Essex.
Batting at No.4, he brought his team out of trouble, who were reeling at 96/3. He followed it up with another hundred against Nottinghamshire, highlighting his growing maturity to handle pressure. Varma ended his campaign with 358 runs in six innings, averaging a staggering 59.66 with two hundreds and a fifty.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in white-ball cricket and has also played two Tests for India in 2023. However, since his break, the southpaw is still awaiting a national comeback.
The southpaw batter made heads turn with an aggressive half-century on his County debut for Nottinghamshire. Kishan delivered a brisk 87-run knock against Yorkshire, which included 12 fours and a six. He reached his half-century with back-to-back fours. In his only other innings, he made another 70-plus. Donning the gloves, he impressed just as much, taking a catch off his very first ball to dismiss Adam Lyth.
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The discarded leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal joined Northamptonshire for the County and One-Day Cup in his second stint. After an outstanding first season of 19 wickets in four matches, Chahal failed to follow it up with another good season. Except for his County figures of 6/118 against Derbyshire, Chahal had a lukewarm outing this year. He went wicketless against Middlesex in 43 overs. Overall, in his three-match stint, Chahal took 12 wickets.
Khaleel Ahmed became the fifth Indian cricketer to feature in the County Championship 2025, joining Essex’s bowling lineup. Known for his raw pace and left-arm angle, Khaleel brought variety to the bowling unit in conditions that reward accuracy and swing. However, the pacer wasn’t able to provide the expected returns, managing only four wickets in two games at 64.50. He conceded runs at an unimpressive 4.72.
Washington Sundar, who wasn’t included in India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, used his time by signing a contract with Hampshire for the final two rounds. The Tamil Nadu batter used his Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 experience in his maiden County stint.
While the off-spinner faltered in the first outing, the all-rounder made a significant impact against Surrey, taking three wickets in as many overs. The left-hander scored a valiant fifty at No.7. In his brief campaign, Sundar made 136 runs at an average of 34 and also took four wickets.
The Tamil Nadu captain and left-arm orthodox spinner, R Sai Kishore, played two games for Surrey, marking his maiden County appearance. He was named in the playing XI in the defending champions’ home matches against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire, where he claimed 11 wickets at 24.54. The 27-year-old missed the Final against Hampshire due to a finger injury. He was replaced by his compatriot Rahul Chahar, who made an instant impact with the ball.
Out-of-favour India spinner Rahul Chahar was signed by Surrey for the final round. The leg-spinner didn’t let the side feel the left-arm spinner’s absence, running riot at the Rose Bowl. Chahar claimed his career-best figures in an innings as Hampshire’s batting lineup collapsed from 61/0 to 141/9. He finished with 51/8 in the second innings with seven maidens. This also marked his eighth five-wicket haul and first 10-wicket match haul for Chahar in First-Class cricket. He ended the match with 10 wickets, including two wickets in the first innings.
The left-arm pacer returned for his third season, representing Sussex for three rounds of the County Championship. Unadkat finished the season with 16 scalps off six innings across three matches, averaging an astonishing 17.25. His standout performance came against Yorkshire, where he emerged as the team’s best bowler in the first innings. Unadkat snared four scalps for just 43 runs, including five maidens. He then picked up 3/80 to star in his side’s three-wicket win. India batter Mayank Agarwal and Englishmen Jonny Bairstow and Matt Revis were his victims.
Mayank Agarwal joined Yorkshire for a short-term stint of three matches. However, the right-hand batter didn’t have a memorable start to his campaign as he struggled in the first three innings, managing just 26 runs and two ducks. But the Karnataka batter came out with a different plan in the next match. He played a brisk 175-run knock, including 20 fours and five sixes against Durham at Headingley. This marked his 19th First-Class ton.
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