Ravi Bopara: I feel at home at Sussex and want to bring long-term T20 success

All-rounder Ravi Bopara agreed to extend his Sussex stint and said: I feel really at home here.
Ravi Bopara is having a Blast with Sussex / Picture: GettyRavi Bopara is having a Blast with Sussex / Picture: Getty
Ravi Bopara is having a Blast with Sussex / Picture: Getty

The former Essex and England star joined the club at the end of 2019 and has been a crucial member of the Sharks Vitality Blast team in the past two seasons.

The 36-year-old has scored three half-centuries in this summer’s Blast and his 228 runs have helped the Sharks progress to this month’s quarter-final against Yorkshire.

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He has also taken seven wickets with an economy rate of 6.76 runs.

Bopara has played almost 400 matches in the T20 format for teams all over the world and said: “I’m really pleased to be extending my stay at this wonderful club. The past couple of years have been very different to what I had expected when signing for Sussex, but thanks to everyone at the club I feel very at home now.

“JK [James Kirtley] and the rest of the coaching staff have been brilliant to work with this season, and hopefully we are on the verge of something special with our Blast quarter-final coming up.

“I’m hopeful this could be the start of a period of dominance for the Sharks in the T20 and that’s something I want to be part of.

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“From now on, I will be focussing on T20 cricket. I have loved playing red-ball cricket over the years and obviously have some incredible memories in Championship and Test cricket with Essex and England, but my aim now is to get the best out of myself in the T20 format and see where that can take me and the teams I play for.”

Sussex’s T20 Head Coach, James Kirtley added: “It’s great to have Ravi with us for the next few seasons. The role he plays for Sussex and the knowledge from the vast experiences he has had are key to our T20 team.

“I have enormously enjoyed working with Ravi and getting to know him better. His input at all levels has been hugely appreciated and his positive influence over our squad is massively valued. I look forward to seeing more match winning performances from Ravi this year and in future seasons.”