Nikhil Gorantla inks contract with Surrey, making the 23-year-old the latest graduate from the South Asian Cricket Academy.
After agreeing to a multi-year, full-time deal with Surrey, 23-year-old right-hander Nikhil Gorantla became the most recent South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) graduate to reach professional status.
After joining the new MCC Young Cricketers Programme this year and being a member of SACA since 2023, Gorantla has made an impression for Surrey’s second XI this season.
He has previously played for Northumberland and Essex Second XI, when he scored a double-hundred against Yorkshire in 2022. He is scheduled to start training with Surrey’s first team this week.
“I’m delighted to sign my first professional contract at Surrey,” Gorantla said. “I’m incredibly proud that my hard work over the past few years with SACA, Durham University, club cricket and the MCC Young Cricketers has been rewarded with a contract at the biggest club in the country.”
Dr. Tom Brown established SACA in 2022 to provide British-Asian cricket players who had been excluded from the regular county cricket paths a second chance. In recent seasons, the program has produced a number of noteworthy players, such as Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner who played on England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean last year, and Kashif Ali, the prolific batter from Worcestershire.
“I’d like to particularly thank the South Asian Cricket Academy for keeping me in the professional mix over recent years,” Gorantla added. “The work they continue to do for young cricketers has been phenomenal.
“I’m looking forward to getting around the group and learning from the wealth of experienced players and coaches at the club.”