As they gear up for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20, Sussex Sharks are banking on Indian import, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, to help them adapt to the conditions in this country.
The English side has two sub-continent players in Chawla and Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat.
And Sussex coach Mark Robinson feels having Chawla and Arafat in the squad is a big plus for his side in the showpiece Twenty20 tournament.
"Having PC [Chawla] in the side is an advantage to us. He can provide us with inside knowledge about Indian players and conditions. He can tell us about the dew factor in India," Robinson said.
"Yasir will also play a big role because the conditions here are familiar to the ones in Pakistan," he said.
Sussex captain Mike Yardy echoed Robinson's views and said though most of his team-mates have visited India before, Chawla's knowledge would still come in handy.
"Quite a few of our players have played or trained in India but Piyush is a local boy and his presence is going to make a massive difference," said the left-handed batsman.
Even Chawla acknowledged that he would be crucial to Sussex's success in the tournament.
"Obviously, I know something about the conditions and I feel I am going to play a crucial role," the leg-spinner said.
© 2025