Amar Virdi
Amar Virdi was born on 19 July 1998 in Chiswick, Middlesex. He appeared in two U-19 matches versus Sri Lanka in 2016. His maiden first class-match was with Surrey in May 2017 in the County Championship.
Team played
England, Surrey, England Under-19, England Lions
Biography
Virdi bagged 39 scalps in the County Championship in 2018, the highest among England-born spinners. A stress injury kept him out of the initial matches of the 2019 season. The Surrey management asked him to enhance his fitness by losing weight during his recovery. A rejuvenated Virdi bagged 14 scalps in his comeback match versus Nottinghamshire: 8/61 and 6/78, leading his team to victory.
In May and June 2020, England included Virdi in their training squads to prepare for international fixtures. In December 2020, he was selected as a reserve player for the Test series versus Sri Lanka. In January 2021, Virdi was again in the reserves for the away Test series in India.
More Career Details
Amar Virdi made history as a teenager when he played for Surrey versus Middlesex in 2017. He was one of four teenagers in the county team along with Ryan Patel, Ollie Pope and Sam Curran. It was the first time since the Second World War that four teenagers starred for a county team and just the fifth occasion in the history of county cricket.
After his U-19 appearances in 2016, Virdi made it to the Lions squad for their Australian tour where they played along with the senior Ashes squad. In 2018, Virdi’s performances were impressive enough to dislodge veteran offie Gareth Batty from the Surrey team.
In 2019, Virdi was involved in controversy in a county match when he got ready to bat at number 11. Though the opponent Kent agreed to allow him to substitute an ill Batty, match officials were informed only at the last minute which prevented Virdi from playing. In the next match versus Nottinghamshire, he made up for the disappointment by bagging 14/139.
Personal Life
Virdi actively practices Sikhism and his family has origins in Punjab. His parents migrated to England from Uganda and Kenya. Sports run in the family as Virdi’s father played junior tennis for Kenya and his brother initiated him to cricket. He began playing cricket with adults at the age of 13 and therefore refused scholarship offers from private institutions.
Test
Virdi is yet to make his Test debut.
ODI
He hasn’t starred in any ODIs to date.
T20I
Virdi hasn’t played any T20Is s far.
Records and Facts
First-Class
As of February 2021, Virdi has featured in 28 first-class matches, claiming 91 wickets at a 28.08 average and a 52.1 strike rate with 1 10-wicket game haul and 4 five-fors. Virdi’s best figures in a first-class innings are 8/61.
