Ravi Bopara agrees to Steelbacks return as he signs up for 2025 Vitality Blast

The former England all-rounder and white ball specialist has agreed to return for the Steelbacks' Vitality Blast campaign, having played a starring role in the team's run to the quarter-finals last summer.

The 39-year-old was one of the club's standout players after making the move to Northampton from Sussex Sharks, ending up the Steelbacks' second top run-scorer and third highest wicket-taker as the team finished runners-up in the North Group.

Bopara hit 340 runs and claimed 13 wickets, and added crucial experience to the team as they set up a quarter-final showdown with Somerset.

Sadly, Bopara missed that clash due to a finger injury picked up in the weeks leading up to the last-eight showdown while playing for Miami Lions in the MAX60 tournament in the Cayman Islands.

Initially signed by then head coach John Sadler, Bopara is more than happy to return with a new man at the helm in former Australia supremo Darren Lehmann.

“I'm very excited to be coming back to Northamptonshire in 2025," said Bopara.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time there this year, it's a very good squad there with a very good head coach.

"Hopefully we can go that step further than last year and make it to Finals Day."

In the 2024 Blast campaign, Bopara hit two half-centuries and averaged 30.9 at a strike-rate of 128.3 with the bat, and snared 13 wickets at 19.84 apiece, with an excellent economy rate of 7.58 - the best in the Steelbacks squad.

And Northants chief executive Ray Payne is very happy that Bopara, who turns 40 in May, is returning for a second stint at Wantage Road.

"Ravi was a very important player for us in the Blast last year and he made some excellent contributions with both bat and ball," sid Payne.

"He has so much experience in the game and we're looking forward to him playing a big part in helping the squad challenge for silverware next season."

Bopara, who has played more than 500 T20 matches in his lengthy career, is currently playing in the Nepal Premier League T20 competiton, turning out for the Chitwan Rhinos.