Ravi Bopara targeting T20 Blast glory after signing on for the Steelbacks

The 38-year-old former Essex and Sussex all-rounder will team up with the County for the 2024 Vitality Blast campaign, and he believes the 'exciting squad' at Wantage Road can be main players in the competition this summer.

Bopara is a veteran of 500 T20 matches in internationals and competitions all over the globe, scoring just shy of 10,000 runs and also claiming close to 300 wickets.

He has spent the past five years as a gun for hire in the world of T20 franchise cricket, and brings with him a wealth of white ball experience.

Bopara, who has also played for London Spirit in the Hundred, was a Blast winner with Essex in 2019, and for the past two seasons he has captained the Sussex Sharks T20 side, topping the south coast side's runscoring charts last term as he cracked 408 at an average of 37.

He also played 38 T20 internationals for England, and is now looking forward to the next chapter in his T20 career, saying: "I'm really happy to have joined Northamptonshire for the T20s this year.

"I felt great in the Blast last year and my game is in a really good place at the moment.

"I'm looking forward to joining the Steelbacks and putting on a show for the fans at Wantage Road.

"We have a really exciting squad, there's a lot of quality in that list and I'm hoping to play a big part in bringing a third Blast trophy to the club."

Despite all of his obvious experience and the fact he is approaching his 23rd year as a professional cricketer, Bopara insists he still has plenty to learn, and also the scope to improve his game even further.

"I’m still learning a great deal about this game at my age," said Bopara. "I have a burning desire and hunger to up-skill my game to new heights and I still feel like a young man in the game.

"There’s so much more for me to achieve in the T20 space."

Northants head coach John Sadler is delighted to have secured the services of Bopara, claiming it is a 'phenomenal signing' for the club.

Bopara has most recently been an Abu Dhabi Knight Riders team-mate of Steelbacks skipper David Willey in the International League T20, and Sadler believes his worldwide experience and T20 know-how can only be a boost for Northants

"Ravi is a phenomenal signing for us and we're delighted to get it over the line," said the Northants head coach.

"He's been an incredible performer across all formats for many years and brings a huge presence on and off the field."