He has initially signed a one-year, T20-only contract and can have fun his thirty ninth birthday a couple of weeks earlier than Northants begin their Blast season on Might 30 in opposition to Derbyshire, who can be captained by their very own new signing in Patel. “I am actually completely happy to have joined Northamptonshire for the T20s this yr,” Bopara mentioned in a press launch.
Bopara captained Sussex within the Blast final yr. He had a productive season – he scored 408 runs with a strike price of 146.23 and chipped in with eight wickets – however Sussex missed out on the quarter-finals and he was not supplied a brand new contract, a choice he described as “very disappointing”.
He spent the winter enjoying abroad for Delhi Bulls (Abu Dhabi T10) and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20) and has lately completed a stint as assistant coach at Karachi Kings. “I felt nice within the Blast final yr and my sport is in a very good place in the mean time,” he mentioned. “I am trying ahead to becoming a member of the Steelbacks and placing on a present for the followers at Wantage Street.”
Northants received the Blast in 2013 and 2016 however have solely reached the quarter-finals as soon as within the final seven seasons. They’ve introduced in George Bartlett (Somerset) and George Scrimshaw (Derbyshire) over the winter, with Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza signing for the Blast, whereas Tom Taylor and Josh Cobb have each left for Worcestershire.
“We have now a very thrilling squad: there’s a number of high quality in that record and I am hoping to play an enormous half in bringing a 3rd Blast trophy to the membership,” Bopara mentioned. “I am nonetheless studying an amazing deal about this sport at my age. I’ve a burning need and starvation to up-skill my sport to new heights and I nonetheless really feel like a younger man within the sport. There’s a lot extra for me to attain within the T20 area.”
John Sadler, Northants’ head coach, mentioned: “Ravi is an outstanding signing for us and we’re delighted to get it over the road. He is been an unbelievable performer throughout all codecs for a few years and brings an enormous presence on and off the sector.”
