Indian legspinner Rahul Chahar endured a difficult return to English domestic cricket as Surrey suffered a six-wicket defeat against Nottinghamshire in its final One-Day Cup group match, ending the club’s campaign in the competition.
Chahar, who was drafted into the squad despite not initially being expected to feature in the tournament, completed his 10-over spell without a wicket and conceded 57 runs. His outing with the bat was also brief, as he was dismissed for a second-ball duck.
Surrey had brought Chahar into the squad alongside Jason Roy and Dan Worrall, with Roy and Worrall returning from The Hundred. However, their inclusion could not prevent Surrey from falling short in a crucial final group fixture.
Batting first, Surrey made 298 for eight from its 50 overs. Openers Ryan Patel and Dom Sibley provided the foundation with substantial individual scores. Patel struck 102, while Sibley contributed 84, but the total was not enough to hold off Nottinghamshire.
Chasing 299, Nottinghamshire completed the task with six wickets in hand, powered by a commanding innings from George Munsey. The Scotland representative scored 138 from 132 deliveries to lead the chase.
Captain Haseeb Hameed and South Africa international Kyle Verreynne also made important contributions, with both registering half-centuries as Nottinghamshire took control of the contest.
The appearance marked another chapter in Chahar’s association with Surrey. He previously played one County Championship match for the club in 2025 and made a spectacular impact, claiming eight wickets for 15 runs in the second innings. Those figures were the best by a Surrey player on First-Class debut.
Chahar was subsequently signed for Surrey’s final eight County Championship matches. His first appearance of that spell came against Glamorgan in June, when the legspinner picked up three wickets. Surrey, however, went on to lose the match by seven wickets.
His latest appearance brought a different outcome on an individual level, with Nottinghamshire’s batters successfully negotiating his full allocation of 10 overs.
Surrey’s 298 ultimately proved insufficient, with Munsey’s century and supporting half-centuries from Hameed and Verreynne ensuring Nottinghamshire successfully chased down the target and knocked Surrey out of the One-Day Cup.
