When Surrey signed R Sai Kishore for the last few games of the County Championship 2025, it was expected to see the left-arm spinner earn success with his excellent bowling. On July 30, he showed his skills during the red-ball clash against Durham at Riverside Ground in Chester-Le-Street. He made a huge impact in his second appearance for the side.

It was the magical delivery from the Tamil Nadu spinner that caught the eyes of the world as the video went viral. One of the dream deliveries for any left-arm spinner is to loop the ball in the air and square the batter in two halves. It was the delivery from the GT spinner that was middle on the middle of the surface and held its line.

See Also: Bharat Arun to join this franchise ahead of IPL 2026

The Durham wicket-keeper batter, Ollie Robbinson, had no idea of how to deal with the delivery. He pushed back to the back foot and was bamboozled by the straight line, seeing it holding the straight line, and crashed into the stump. The batter got dismissed for two runs in five runs.

Watch: R Sai Kishore bowls dream delivery for Surrey during County Championship 2025

Later, the spinner picked up the wicket of Bas de Leede for a four-ball duck after being adjudged leg before the stumps. The home side won the toss and opted to bat first. Captain Alex Lees got 34 runs in 70 balls while Colin Ackerman drilled 51 runs in 104 balls, hitting six boundaries. Matthew Potts got 32 runs as they were bundled out for 153 runs in 55.1 overs.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans)

Surrey didn’t get a good start in the second innings as they lost both their openers for 23 runs in the first hour. Ryan Patel rescued them with 58 runs in 72 balls at a strike rate of 80.56, thanks to nine boundaries and one six. Dan Lawrence nailed an unbeaten 68 runs in 84 balls at a strike rate of 80.95, thanks to nine fours and one six.

Surrey ended the day with 182/5, having already taken a lead of 29 runs. They are at the top of the points table in Division One of the County Championship 2025 with three victories in 10 encounters with 154 points.

Indian left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore claimed his first wicket in the English County Championship, and it was a prized one: England star Jonny Bairstow. In a truncated day of play at Scarborough, Kishore dismissed Bairstow for a fluent 72, as Yorkshire moved to 376 for 5 against Surrey in their 10th round Rothesay County Championship fixture.

Play on day two began late at 1 pm due to a wet outfield, with Yorkshire resuming on 282 for 4. Bairstow was unbeaten on 19 overnight, joined by Matthew Revis, who was yet to score. The pair went on to stitch together an 88-run partnership, with Bairstow taking the lead in an aggressive display.

Bairstow looked in sublime touch, dispatching Dan Worrall for consecutive cover drives to bring up Yorkshire’s 300. He later brought up a 68-ball half-century, his sixth of the season and third against Surrey, by sweeping Sai Kishore for six. It was vintage Bairstow, combining power with precision as Yorkshire’s dominance grew under bright sunshine.

Watch the video:

Sai Kishore won an intriguing battle with Jonny Bairstow! 💥

🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/jZNmSOb24B

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 23, 2025

We're still of the field here in Scarborough. 😢

Enjoy Sai Kishore's first Surrey wicket while we wait for some updates. 🎬

🤎 | #SurreyCricket https://t.co/BHs30FCeeh pic.twitter.com/1xucZPVyae

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 23, 2025

ALSO SEE: Captain Ayush Mhatre slams 64-ball century in Youth Test

Bairstow's aggression cut short as Sai Kishore bags memorable first wicket in County cricket

His attacking intention ultimately proved to be his downfall. Having tried the aerial route against Kishore once more, Bairstow badly skewed the shot and was caught by Will Jacks at deep mid-on. It was a big wicket for Surrey and a special moment for Kishore, who is on his first County stint.

Despite the sunshine earlier in the day, umpires Nigel Llong and Russell Warren remained cautious due to the soggy outfield and problematic bowlers' run-ups, remnants of heavy rain from the previous day. Further rain arrived after 2.35 pm, cutting short the day's proceedings, and play was eventually called off at 4.40 pm.

Matthew Revis was unbeaten on 34 and Will Sutherland on 6 when the players walked off. Yorkshire will hope to push on with the bat if weather permits on day three, while Kishore’s breakthrough has given Surrey a much-needed opening in the contest. For the 28-year-old spinner, the wicket of Bairstow is not just a milestone, but a potential launchpad for further impact in English conditions.

Absolutely ravishing! Sam Curran caught an outstanding catch. He caught a catch on his own bowling and suddenly shifted the complexion of the match. In match 126 of T20 Blast, the England all-rounder left everyone's jaw dropping. He delivered and took a catch himself, one-handed—the whole process happened so flawlessly that the unusual event seemed well rehearsed. 

It was Sussex County Cricket Club vs. Surrey County Cricket Club. In their 20-over limit, Surrey posted 204 runs, batting first. The total was sufficient to throw a tough challenge against any opponent, but Sussex batters were in no mood to surrender. With their opener Daniel Hughes, they started to bat fearlessly, though they tried to remain risk-free as much as possible. But chasing a mammoth total has never been an easy task for any team on the planet. 

James Coles was batting vigorously until Sam Curran's 4th delivery of the 19th over of the second innings, while the second batting team poised the game nicely through their hard-hitting game strategy. But chasing a target in the second innings is never an easy go for the team chasing. Coles was in a hurry scoring runs. Whenever he saw a delivery within his territory, he tried to swing the blade. The right-handed batter did the same when Curran delivered one of the luring balls of the match. 

Read More: Hint for Mohammed Shami's return in competitive matches, name in vital list

The moment of the match shifted 

It was a full toss, guided towards the middle stump. Driven by his natural instinct, Coles hit the ball hard. The ball was about to go straight through like an arrow when Curran, the skipper of Surrey, extended his left arm on the path of the ball. The connection between the ball and the bat was not inch-perfect; speed was not top-mark. Curran extended his hand at the right time, and the ball went into his grip smoothly. 

Coles departed after scoring 39 off 18. After his dismissal, with a limited number of deliveries before the conclusion of the game, no other Sussex batter came up. Surrey won the match by 7 runs. 

Watch the outstanding catch here

The nonchalance from Sam Curran! 😮‍💨🤌

🩵 | #SurreyCricket https://t.co/NRaZcVnZY4 pic.twitter.com/3gyTw1zfLm

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 18, 2025

Surrey, a successful county side in England, have signed the high-rated spinner, R Sai Kishore, for the upcoming two County Championship 2025 fixtures. The left-arm spinner plays for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) under Shubman Gill’s captaincy and is also the leader of the Tamil Nadu side in India’s red-ball competition, the Ranji Trophy.

Sai Kishore, the six-foot-three spinner, will remain available for Surrey’s next two County clashes, where they will use the Kookaburra ball. The first of the games will be a trip to Scarborough to face Yorkshire from July 22, before heading to Chester-Le-Street to take on Durham on July 29. The spinner’s experience will be valuable for the side’s spin department.

SEE ALSO: 'It’s almost my T20 grip....' - Steven Smith opens up on tackling his back problem in WI vs AUS 2nd Test

“I'm really excited to be joining Surrey for the next two County Championship matches. Surrey are one of the most prestigious clubs in the world, and I have heard great things about the set-up from lots of different people in the game.” Kishore addressed in a statement quoted by Surrey.

Surrey sign Sai Kishore for two County Championship matches

In his first game, Kishore will be up against his former Chennai Super Kings teammate Ruturaj Gaikwad. He revealed his excitement to be part of the prestigious club in the world and looks forward to learn new things in the future. The left-arm spinner has represented India in three T20Is, besides taking 192 first-class wickets at an average of 23.50. In the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season, he was the leading wicket-taker with 53 scalps in nine games at an average of below 19 to carry Tamil Nadu to the semifinals. 

“I'm delighted to bring the highly rated Sai Kishore into our squad for the next two Kookaburra games. All the reports I have received from people I respect in the Indian game have spoken highly of him. His four-day record for Tamil Nadu is very good, and he brings leadership experience to the group.” Alec Stewart, Surrey’s high-performance advisor, welcomed the spinner.

Surrey sign Indian spinner Sai Kishore for the next two @CountyChamp matches. 🇮🇳

Sai captains Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy and plays for Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He's available for the next two Kookaburra matches away at Yorkshire and Durham. 🚌

🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/herPHs0jsq

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 7, 2025

The 28-year-old had already gained experience of bowling in England. He went as the reserve player with the visiting Indian team in 2022, when he bowled 14 overs in a tour game at Grace Road in Leicester and returned with the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara. Surrey now eye their fourth successive county championship title, having made the hat-trick of it.