England spinner Rehan Ahmed, promoted to open for the third time in a row for Leicestershire, has repaid the faith with a rapid fifty on day three (April 13) of their County Championship 2025 clash against Derbyshire.
Leicestershire carried a 91-run lead into their second innings and once again entrusted Rehan with opening duties, a role he’d taken in the first innings where he scored 13 off 20 before Derbyshire seamer Zak Chappell bowled him during an ambitious drive. He had also opened in the fourth innings against Glamorgan too, remaining unbeaten on 13 off 18 during their 51-run chase.
All eyes were on Rehan as he walked out with Sol Budinger to open for the third time in a row. Undeterred by his modest returns in the new role, Rehan batted with fearless intent. He raced to a 32-ball fifty, laced with 11 fours – including three consecutive boundaries off Derbyshire left-arm seamer Luis Reece. After reaching the milestone, he added three more fours and a six.
A 32-ball 50 from Rehan Ahmed in his new role as an opener pic.twitter.com/oZCMijKo6i
— Rothesay County Championship (@CountyChamp) April 13, 2025
He didn’t stop there, adding three more fours and a six before Blair Tickner finally dismissed him for a 59-ball 77. By then, Leicestershire had rocketed to 132 in just 20.5 overs, stretching their overall lead to 223.
Primarily a leg-spinner, Rehan Ahmed was fast-tracked into the England setup, becoming the youngest ever Test cricketer for his country when he debuted against Pakistan in December 2022. He announced himself spectacularly, taking 5-48 in the third innings to help secure an England victory. More recently, he was named as Brydon Carse’s injury replacement during England’s disappointing 2025 Champions Trophy campaign.
Against Derbyshire in the first innings, his bowling took a backseat – he delivered just eight overs (the fewest among Leicestershire’s bowlers) – conceding 27 runs without success.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
