Ishan Kishan stuns with unexpected bowling cameo at County, mimics Harbhajan Singh's action frame-by-frame

Ishan Kishan showcased his skills with the ball, and hilariously emulated Harbhajan Singh's bowling action during a County match.

Ishan Kishan appears to be relishing his County Championship experience with Nottinghamshire. The India wicketkeeper-batter has made an encouraging start to his red-ball stint in England, registering back-to-back half-centuries in Division 1.

Ishan Kishan preparing to bowl in a County match (X)

Adding to his contributions, Ishan brought out a new side to his game during a rain-affected, drawn fixture against Somerset at Taunton. On Wednesday, in an unexpected moment, he was handed the ball and took the opportunity to showcase more than just his batting skills.

In his solitary over, Kishan delivered a mix of off-spin and leg-spin, delighting teammates and fans alike. He opened his spell by mimicking Harbhajan Singh’s signature bowling action, sending down a delivery from over the wicket to Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who was nearing 150 at the time. The imitation was impressively accurate, capturing the essence of the former Indian spinner’s style.

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Kishan followed it up with a few traditional off-spinners before switching to around the wicket. From there, he channelled Australian legend Shane Warne, attempting leg-spin. His final delivery drifted significantly down the leg side, but the umpire, perhaps enjoying the theatrics, refrained from calling it a wide.

As it happened, Kishan’s over turned out to be the final one of the match. He concluded his brief bowling spell with tidy figures of 0 for 1 from a single over. A video of the unexpected and light-hearted moment quickly gained traction on social media, with fans widely sharing his entertaining cameo for Nottinghamshire.

A classy knock

Ishan Kishan continued his impressive County Championship stint with a brisk 77-run knock for Nottinghamshire in their drawn fixture against Somerset. Batting in the middle order, the 26-year-old struck eight boundaries and two sixes in a fluent display, adding vital runs to a massive team total of 509. The innings showed Kishan’s growing confidence in English conditions, following up on his debut score of 87 against Yorkshire earlier in the month.

Nottinghamshire’s reply was anchored by centuries from Ben Slater (124) and Jack Haynes (157), whose steady 163-run stand laid the foundation. Kishan’s knock added urgency in the latter stages, helping the hosts stretch their innings across 163.2 overs.

Earlier, Somerset had posted 379 in their first innings, buoyed by contributions from Tom Abell and Tom Banton. A second-innings declaration at 238 for 4, led by Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s unbeaten 147, meant both sides eventually settled for a draw.

Kishan, who hasn’t featured in India’s Test setup since the West Indies tour in July 2023, appears determined to stay in rhythm during the post-IPL phase. Despite a modest IPL 2025 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he scored 354 runs in 14 games, his recent red-ball outings in England have been far more compelling. With a packed international calendar ahead, Kishan’s timely form could keep him in the conversation for a potential India recall.