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.

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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

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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.

It was a body blow for the Yorkshire club when the young Indian opening batter, Ruturaj Gaikwad, decided not to join the Yorkshire side even after completing the deal due to personal reasons. This put the side in a tough position to find a suitable replacement at the eleventh hour of the County Championship 2025 season, where they were scheduled to face Surrey in the next fixture.

But they finally found a new way by signing Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan opening batter, as an overseas signing for the remainder of the edition. Imam is the nephew of Inzamam and has scored three centuries in 24 Test appearances, besides representing Somerset in the 2022 season of the County Championship.

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In March, the southpaw helped the Pakistan Television side win the President’s Cup, the country’s domestic tournament. He will join the squad straight into Yorkshire’s Championship clash with Surrey at Scarborough and will remain with the side for the Metro Bank One-day Cup campaign, where his value will increase more at the opening position of the side.

Yorkshire signs Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq as replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad

‘We're delighted that Imam has joined us and that he will be available immediately. Whilst we were naturally disappointed that Ruturaj couldn't join up with the squad, in Imam we have an exceptional player of proven international quality.’ Gavin Hamilton, the general manager of cricket for the Yorkshire club, expressed that they expect the batter to help the side with international experience of 1568 runs in 46 innings and 3152 ODI runs in 74 innings.

‘Imam has an impressive record and is already familiar with domestic cricket in this country, which will stand us in good stead for a crucial block of fixtures. We are grateful for the speed at which he has arrived in the country, and everyone at the club is looking forward to working with him through until the end of the season.’ He said in the statement.

On the other hand, Derbyshire has confirmed that Caleb Jewell will be back for the next summer after extending his contract. He has been a key part of the side, which is in Division Two and looking to earn a promotion for the first time in more than a decade. The southpaw is on the division’s run-scoring list with 821 runs at 54.73 with a career-best of 232 against Kent.

The Chennai Super Kings’ captain and the Indian batter, Ruturaj Gaikwad, has pulled out of his county deal with the Yorkshire side due to a ‘personal issue at home.’ The right-handed batter was due to make his debut in the red-ball first-class game in England for the franchise at North Marine Road against Surrey on July 22 and would remain with them until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old batter has smashed 2632 runs in the red-ball domestic format in 65 innings at an average of 41.77 and a strike rate of around 60, thanks to seven centuries and 14 half-centuries at the best score of 195 runs. It could have been a perfect practice for the opener against the swinging red ball in tough conditions of England. 

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The Maharashtra batter smashed two half-centuries in the first five encounters of the IPL 2025 for the Super Kings. He started with a fine 53 runs against the Mumbai Indians at home, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, besides nailing 63 runs against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Later, he was ruled out of the competition with a broken hand.

Star CSK player denies Yorkshire for the Championship deal in 2025

The head coach of the Yorkshire side, Anthony McGrath, has revealed the development and narrated that the club didn’t have any news or update beyond that. ‘Unfortunately, Gaikwad's not coming now for personal reasons. We're not going to have him for Scarborough or the rest of the season. So that's disappointing.’ McGrath expressed during the press release.

The Yorkshire County Cricket Club can confirm that Ruturaj Gaikwad will no longer be joining the Club for the 2025 season due to personal reasons. pic.twitter.com/zP6YIRZDCT

— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) July 18, 2025

The head coach has also addressed that Yorkshire would be trying to find a suitable replacement for Gaikwad in the passage of play. They, however, will have just three days before the game. He addressed that Johny Bairstow’s availability for Scarborough isn’t known, given that his partner is due to give birth at any time. Dom Bess missed the T20 Blast game against Leicestershire on July 18 due to a niggle.

‘We're working behind the scenes on what we can do. But it's only two or three days away, so I'm not sure what we can do at the moment. We're working to try to get a possible replacement, but time pressure is the issue. I can't give you anything more than that at the moment.’ The Yorkshire head coach added.

India’s Ruturaj Gaikwad has signed with Yorkshire County Cricket Club for the second half of the 2025 English domestic season. The 28-year-old, who captains Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and Maharashtra in Indian domestic cricket, will join Yorkshire ahead of their County Championship match against Surrey at Scarborough on July 22 and remain available through the end of the season. He will also feature in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.

Currently touring England with India A, Gaikwad brings a solid track record across formats. In first-class cricket, he averages 41.77 with seven centuries, while his List A record is even more impressive, averaging 56.15 with 16 hundreds. His ability to adapt across formats and bat anywhere in the top four makes him a versatile addition to Yorkshire’s setup.

“I’m excited to be joining up with Yorkshire for the rest of the English domestic season,” said Gaikwad. “It has always been a goal of mine to experience county cricket, and there’s no bigger club in England than Yorkshire. We’ve got some crucial matches coming up, and I hope to contribute strongly to our campaign.”

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Indian Opener Set to Boost Yorkshire’s Batting Line-Up in Championship and One-Day Cup Return

This signing comes after Gaikwad missed the latter half of IPL 2025 due to an elbow injury, making his return to competitive cricket even more anticipated. Yorkshire’s head coach, Anthony McGrath, praised the move: “Ruturaj is a highly accomplished cricketer with a game well-suited to the style we want to play. His presence will bring added strength to our batting and the ability to accelerate when needed.”

General Manager Gavin Hamilton added: “Gaikwad’s consistency across formats and leadership experience will greatly enhance our squad. We’re delighted to welcome him.” Yorkshire fans will be eager to see the stylish right-hander in action as he aims to make an immediate impact in the County Championship and help the White Rose push for silverware in the One-Day Cup.