Dan Lawrence to play for Desert Vipers as England players chill in Abu Dhabi

Dan Lawrence, who is a part of the England Test squad for the five-match series against India, has rejoined the Desert Vipers squad, of which he was a part, during the 10-day break between the Visakhapatnam and Rajkot Test. The England Test team, led by Ben Stokes, travelled to Abu Dhabi from Visakhapatnam to recharge themselves, and most of them went there without their kit-bag.

However, Lawrence decided to play a couple of matches in the International League T20, a tournament he had to leave mid-way to join the Test squad after Harry Brook decided to leave for London following a personal emergency.

"We are delighted to welcome Dan back to the Vipers and it is something that makes perfect sense for everyone. The Vipers are getting a top-class player, someone who can affect the game with bat and ball who has already been part of the Vipers set-up, and someone who is craving match action," Tom Moody, Vipers director of cricket, said in a statement.

"For his part, Dan is getting the opportunity for some time in the middle and when he returns to the England fold, they will have a player who will have benefited from playing after time on the sidelines during the ongoing Test series.

"We are extremely grateful to the England team for allowing Dan to rejoin us and grateful, too, for Dan's willingness to jump at the opportunity. In his short time with us at the start of the tournament, Dan was a terrific, positive influence both on and off the field and we look forward to him playing a part in pushing us towards the playoffs as the regular season draws to a close."

England will return to India for the remainder of the series, which resumes on February 15 in Rajkot, with the series currently locked at 1-1.