Mayank Agarwal has been in pursuit of a stint in the English county championships for a while. But when a call from Yorkshire came late August - "30th, or maybe it was the 31st", he says, unable to recall - he didn't expect to be on a flight to the UK that same week. The surprise call may have felt oddly familiar for Agarwal, who is currently preparing to lead Karnataka as they begin their 2025-26 Ranji Trophy campaign against Saurashtra on Wednesday.

"I'd been trying for a county stint for three or four years. A couple of years ago, Surrey had called, but the Duleep Trophy came in the way," he said on Tuesday. "This time it was sudden, but I didn't think twice. I'm glad I went. It was a lot of fun, and a very valuable experience."

In five innings, Agarwal made 201 runs for Yorkshir

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