Rishi Patel Signs New Two-Year Leicestershire Deal

Leicestershire CCC is delighted to announce batsman Rishi Patel has signed a new two-year deal with the Club.

The in-form opener has enjoyed a fruitful 2023 season so far, leading Leicestershire’s run-scoring charts in both the LV= Insurance County Championship and the Vitality Blast.

Patel’s 882 Championship runs, assembled at an average of 58.8, have propelled the Foxes to second spot in Division Two, placing him as the fifth highest red-ball run-scorer in the country so far this summer.

His copious returns in 2023 have included five centuries, headlined by a career-best score of 179 on Thursday during Leicestershire’s high-scoring draw at Glamorgan, as well as a swashbuckling 45-ball ton in the Foxes’ Vitality Blast victory over Durham last month.

Overall, the 24-year-old has scored 2,686 runs across 82 appearances for Leicestershire since his loan move from Essex was made permanent ahead of the 2021 season.

Patel stands as only the fourth player to have registered a century in all three formats for the Club, whilst his four Championship hundreds this term are the most in a single season for the Foxes since Mark Cosgrove hit five in 2016.

Upon extending his deal, Patel told Foxes TV: “I’m very excited to commit myself to the Club for another couple of years. Hopefully we can continue to perform as team and I’m looking forward to scoring some more runs here.

“I’ve settled in really well since I arrived. I feel comfortable and have cemented my spot in the team, so those things contribute to making Leicestershire feel like home and it definitely is that now.

“The Club has a great culture and with the squad we have, we’re starting to build something special, particularly in red-ball cricket.

“I love playing at Grace Road. It’s a great surface to bat on, one which will help me to develop and continuing performing for Leicestershire.”

Director of Cricket, Claude Henderson, said: “We are thrilled Rishi has committed his future to Leicestershire. He has shown what he is capable of so far this season and has fast become a crucial player for us across all three formats.

“He now has a platform to keep developing and delivering match-winning performances for the Club, and we can’t wait to see that across the next two years at Uptonsteel County Ground.”