Patel and Ahmed Earn England Lions Call-Ups

Leicestershire duo Rishi Patel and Rehan Ahmed have been selected for England Lions’ training camp in the UAE, beginning next month.

The pair will form part of a 21-player group, which will run from 16 November to 7 December, focussing predominantly on developing their red-ball skills.

The camp aims to understand the depth of England’s pathway whilst providing developmental experiences for high-potential players closely aligned to England’s future needs.

Patel’s maiden Lions selection follows an outstanding 2023 season for Leicestershire, during which the 25-year-old scored 1,764 runs “ becoming the first Fox to hit a century in all three formats during the same summer.

In first-class cricket, the opener passed the 1,000-run landmark in the County Championship, ending the campaign as the Club’s top run-scorer with 1,075 runs at an average of 44.79.

The first of his four red-ball centuries arose during the opening round at Yorkshire, as Leicestershire secured a historic win at Headingley thanks to Patel’s maiden first-class ton, while he struck a career-high 179 against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens in July.

His achievements earned him a new two-year deal later that month, before Patel was awarded his prestigious ‘Gold Fox’ county cap during Leicestershire’s title-winning One Day Cup campaign.

19-year-old Ahmed was part of a similar camp with the Lions last winter, which led to his Test debut on England’s tour of Pakistan - during which the Academy graduate became the youngest ever Test debutant to take a five-wicket haul.

The all-rounder has 735 runs at 31.95, and 24 wickets from his 13 first-class appearances to date, bested by his maiden hundred and returns of 5/114 in Leicestershire’s draw with Derbyshire in September 2022.

Like Patel, Ahmed also committed his future to the Foxes this summer by signing a contract extension through to the end of the 2027 season.

To watch Rishi and Rehan in action for the Foxes in 2024, secure a Club Membership HERE.