India spinner Kuldeep Yadav has signed with Yorkshire as an overseas player for the remainder of the English domestic season. The left-arm wrist-spinner will play five One-Day Cup matches before returning in September for three County Championship games. His stint begins with Friday’s 50-over clash against Glamorgan.In the club’s statement, Kuldeep expressed his delight at joining one of England’s most historic county clubs, saying, “I’m really pleased to be joining Yorkshire and grateful for this opportunity. It will be a real privilege to represent a club with Yorkshire’s proud history.”He also said he is looking forward to testing himself in English conditions again. “I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of playing in English conditions, and after speaking with the management, I became really excited to join up with the team and I’m looking forward to making a positive contribution during my time at Headingley,” he added.The move comes shortly after India’s ODI series in England, where Kuldeep did not feature in any of the three matches despite being part of the squad.Yorkshire believe Kuldeep’s arrival will strengthen their bowling attack, especially with spin expected to play a bigger role during the closing stages of the season.General manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton said, “Kuldeep is an accomplished, international-quality player who will add incredible strength to our lineup for these blocks of fixtures.”He added, “Given the dry summer we’ve experienced, we expect spin to play an important role during the closing stages of the season. Kuldeep gives us another dimension with his left-arm wrist spin and brings a wealth of experience at the highest level. We’re delighted to welcome him to Yorkshire.”Kuldeep joins a growing list of Indian cricketers featuring in county cricket this season, including Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat, Manav Suthar, R. Sai Kishore and Ashutosh Sharma.
