Solanki and Kabir star in Trophy

Vikram Solanki © Getty Images

England and Worcestershire players Vikram Solanki and Kabir Ali have made impressive starts to their time in the Ranji Trophy with Rajasthan.

Solanki hit 58 against Gujarat in Ahmedabad while Ali added 19 in their 204 all-out and Ali then took 1-18 as Gujarat finished on 43 for two at stumps on the first day of the four-day encounter.

The duo played for England’s one-day side in a warm-up match against a Rajasthan President’s XI in India in March and that was when the arrangement was first mooted.

Solanki was born in Udaipur in Rajasthan, and lived there until he was eight while Surrey spinner Nayan Doshi played first-class cricket for Saurashtra before joining the county side in 2004.

Middlesex and England legend Denis Compton made an unbeaten 249 in the 1945 Ranji Trophy final for Holkar against Bombay but appearances in the Trophy have been scarce by county players although Ed Smith of Middlesex and Robin Martin-Jenkins of Sussex have spent time in India honing their skills in recent seasons.