Although Dwarshuis was due to return in 2026, he was withdrawn from his deal by Cricket Australia last month after being signed by Ricky Ponting’s Punjab Kings in the IPL auction. Raza, a middle-order batsman, is not a like-for-like replacement but has committed to playing for the duration of the Blast.
Worcestershire’s overseas contingent also includes Pakistani leg-spinner Usama Mir, who signed a long-term deal last year, while former England Under-19 left-arm spinner Fateh Singh completes a strong spin attack. Raza brings previous T20 Blast experience, having represented Northamptonshire in 2024, and has also featured for Manchester Originals in The Hundred.
Worcestershire were T20 Blast champions in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2019, but have struggled in the competition since, reaching the quarter-finals just once in the past six seasons.
“I’m delighted to be joining Worcestershire Rapids this summer and playing in a T20 competition that I’m really enjoying. I’ve enjoyed my time in England having played there before, so I can’t wait to get started this summer and join the squad,” Raza said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“Sikandar’s statistics in T20 cricket speak for themselves and as a side that wants to compete in the Vitality Blast and challenge for the trophy, we know how important it is to have real quality in key areas. [Dwarshuis] “Unable to join us, we wanted to make sure we had someone with an international background who can influence the game in all three facets, so we were keen to get Sikandar on board as soon as we knew he was available,” said head coach Alan Richardson.
Leicestershire confirmed Keshav Maharaj’s deal had fallen through due to workload restrictions imposed by Cricket South Africa. He has been replaced by New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel, who joins the club on a season-long all-format contract.
Kent, meanwhile, announced that Australian seamer Tom Rogers will return for a third consecutive T20 Blast season. Rogers has not played since sustaining a shoulder injury in a win against Sussex last July and will compete with South Africans Keith Dudgeon and Senuran Muthusamy for Kent’s two overseas places in the Blast. In addition, Kent confirmed that Zak Crawley will remain at the club into 2026, re-signing a rolling one-year deal in line with his England contract, which expires in October.
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