'Red ball cricket is my true passion' - Siddharth Kaul opens up after his impressive County Championship debut

While most Indian cricketers are playing in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, veteran pacer Siddharth Kaul is taking an alternate path. The 33-year-old went unsold in the IPL 2024 auction but found himself playing in the ongoing England County Championship with Northamptonshire.

Kaul isn't the first Indian player to play in the County Championship in recent years. For Kaul though, it represents a potential career revival after falling out of IPL.

Also read: Siddarth Kaul picks five-wicket haul on Northamptonshire debut

Northamptonshire to play Derbyshire next

The right-arm pacer made an immediate impact for Northamptonshire, claiming six wickets in his County debut against Gloucestershire. With the red Duke ball moving prodigiously, Kaul relished the chance to showcase his skills with a fiery opening spell.

"Red ball cricket is my true passion, JAI MATA DI," Kaul tweeted after his debut. The pacer had spent the last two IPL seasons warming the bench for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, playing just one game in 2022.

Here's the tweet -

Also read: Northamptonshire signs Indian pacer Siddharth Kaul for ongoing County Championship

While Northamptonshire eventually lost to Gloucestershire, Kaul's performance was an encouraging sign. He now has two more County fixtures against Derbyshire and Yorkshire to further push his case. Northamptonshire have struggled this season, sitting just above the bottom after four draws and the loss against Gloucestershire. But in Kaul, they have acquired a wily campaigner capable of making the new ball talk.

Kaul's international career may have come to a premature end. But the County grind allows him to rediscover his form with the red Dukes.