Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has joined Lancashire County Cricket Club for the next five weeks. Known for his standout performance with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2024 title win, he will participate in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup and the final two rounds of the Vitality County Championship in late August.

Lancashire County Cricket Club confirmed his signing in a statement on Friday. Venkatesh, the energetic Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, is excited about this chance and aims to make a strong comeback to the Indian national team.

Venkatesh’s excitement about county cricket debut

“I am incredibly excited about heading over to England and to have the opportunity to play county cricket for the first time in my career. Lancashire is a very historic county with a long history of welcoming Indian players to their club. I am looking forward to emulating the likes of Farokh Engineer, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and most recently, Washington Sundar in wearing the Red Rose colours at Emirates Old Trafford,” Venkatesh stated.

“To test my skills in both one-day and first-class cricket in English conditions is going to really benefit my game. I hope that I can entertain the fans and help my Lancashire teammates to achieve their targets in both formats this summer.”, He added.

Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance, is thrilled about the new addition. “Venkatesh will add experience to a young side during the One-Day Cup, whilst providing an explosive batting option in the middle-order and another seam bowler that we can turn to with the ball,” Chilton said. He confirmed that Venkatesh will play in the County games against Surrey and Hampshire.

Venkatesh’s plans to return for Duleep Trophy

Media reports suggest that Venkatesh has not agreed to a long term contract, as he wants to return to India in time for the Duleep Trophy, which starts on September 5. He plans to use this domestic tournament to re enter the Indian national team setup.

The four squads for the Duleep Trophy will be chosen after India’s tour to Zimbabwe. Venkatesh’s performances for Lancashire will be closely watched by selectors as they finalize the teams for this prestigious domestic competition.

James Anderson, the most successful fast bowler in Test cricket, will retire after the Test match against the West Indies at Lord’s. After retiring, he will join England’s coaching staff as a fast-bowling mentor.

At 41, Anderson is ending his long international career because England has decided to move forward without him. Rob Key, the managing director of England Cricket, highlighted Anderson’s value. “He has so much to offer English cricket. We don’t want to lose that,” said Key. “When we asked him, he was keen. He will have many options. English cricket would be lucky if he stays involved.”

Anderson current playing status and future with Lancashire

Anderson, who has taken 700 Test wickets, is currently playing for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship at Southport. His future with Lancashire is uncertain, but Key confirmed that Anderson will be with the England team “all summer.” “What he does with Lancashire will be decided after the Lord’s Test,” Key added. “We need to discuss what he thinks is best. So far, everything has been focused on this Test match.”

For the series against the West Indies, England has named a fresh-looking squad for the first two of the three Tests. Nottinghamshire pace bowler Dillon Pennington and Surrey’s Gus Atkinson, who has been in a Test squad but hasn’t played, have been called up. Ollie Robinson has been left out, and Mark Wood will miss the start of the series after the T20 World Cup.

In a surprising move, uncapped Jamie Smith will keep wicket instead of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes. Shoaib Bashir replaces his Somerset teammate Jack Leach as the main spinner.

“Sometimes you select players for their potential and where you think they can progress,” said Key, a former England batter. “This is just the beginning for Jamie Smith. We believe he will be a fantastic international cricketer.”

SEE ALSO: [Watch] Rahul Dravid asks for job offers; Here is why?