Cowdrey will be hoping it’s third time lucky having signed Rajasthan star Manendra Singh for their 2022 Kent League campaign.

Having lost their original pros Lasith Abeyratne and Saurabh Rawat to domestic commitments, the club has moved swiftly with Singh’s recruitment.

Rajasthan star

Singh is an outstanding opening batter wicket-keeper playing for the star-studded Rajasthan side in Indian domestic cricket.

He has played for the State over the past five seasons, following a glittering junior career. Singh has enjoyed tremendous success across the three formats but has particularly excelled in one-day (Vijay Hazare Trophy) cricket with 1,109 runs at 46.20, with 4 hundreds, and 4 fifties in his 26 matches to date.

A gloveman of some pedigree, it’s rare for keepers to bat in the top order let alone open the batting. However, Singh has proven his worth to the extent he’s been involved with two Indian wicket-keeping camps in recent years.

Impressive numbers

With the bat, his numbers are on the rise. In 2018/19, he belted 282 runs at 70.50 in one-day cricket, then backed up with a further 236 runs at 47.20 last summer (2020/21). The prior season (2019/20) he churned out 229 runs at 32.71 in Ranji Trophy cricket including his maiden red-ball century (107*) against a strong Hyderabad bowling attack.

This summer, he was on song in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 270 runs at 54 including his career-best 166* (132 balls) v Assam.

Singh signs for Cowdrey

Singh, who plays against the “big boys” of Indian domestic cricket (Mumbai, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala to name but a few) is eager to impress abroad having recently signed with Cowdrey for their 2022 Kent League campaign