Jigar Naik

{{Short description|English cricketer (born 1984)}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Jigar Naik

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Jigar Kumar Hakumatrai Naik

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|8|10|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Leicester, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| heightm =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm off break

| role =

| club1 = Leicestershire Cricket Board

| year1 = 2002

| club2 = Leicestershire

| year2 = {{nowrap|2006–2016}}

| clubnumber2 = 22

| club3 = Loughborough UCCE

| year3 = 2007

| club4 = Colombo

| year4 = 2011

| type1 = FC

| debutdate1 = 26 July

| debutyear1 = 2006

| debutfor1 = Leics

| debutagainst1 = West Indies A

| type2 = LA

| debutdate2 = 29 August

| debutyear2 = 2002

| debutfor2 = Leics CB

| debutagainst2 = Denmark

| columns = 3

| column1 = FC

| matches1 = 77

| runs1 = 1,888

| bat avg1 = 21.21

| 100s/50s1 = 1/5

| top score1 = 109*

| deliveries1 = 12,003

| wickets1 = 170

| bowl avg1 = 39.15

| fivefor1 = 6

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 8/179

| catches/stumpings1 = 42/–

| column2 = LA

| matches2 = 38

| runs2 = 193

| bat avg2 = 11.35

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 36*

| deliveries2 = 1,460

| wickets2 = 30

| bowl avg2 = 43.80

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 3/21

| catches/stumpings2 = 5/–

| column3 = T20

| matches3 = 54

| runs3 = 74

| bat avg3 = 14.80

| 100s/50s3 = 0/0

| top score3 = 16*

| deliveries3 = 945

| wickets3 = 42

| bowl avg3 = 26.97

| fivefor3 = 0

| tenfor3 = 0

| best bowling3 = 3/3

| catches/stumpings3 = 14/–

| date = 5 April

| year = 2017

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/45/45416/45416.html CricketArchive

}}

Jigar Kumar Hakumatrai Naik (born 10 August 1984) is an English cricket player. Jigar was born in Leicester and educated at Rushey Mead School and Gateway College in the city. He is, as of June 2015, playing for Leicestershire.

Naik who played for Kibworth and Billesdon as well as Loughborough MCCU, made history when he became the first Leicester-born Asian to play for Leicestershire in a first-class game against a touring West Indies A side. Naik took one wicket, that of test batsmen Dwayne Smith.

In Naik's first county game against Glamorgan in the Pro40, he took 3/24.

Naik has been a consistsent performer since 2009. In 2009 he was named Leicestershire's most improved uncapped player. In 2010, Naik topped the national bowling averages with 35 wickets at an average of 17.59, including 7–96 against Surrey at The Oval. A lot of credit for this has to go to his spin partner at Leics, Claude Henderson. Both received new 2-year contracts at the end of the 2011 season.{{cite web|url=http://blog.thecricketer.com/?tag=jigar-naik|title=Henderson and Naik sign new Leicestershire deals|publisher=The Cricketer|accessdate=17 October 2011}}

Naik missed a large part of the 2012 season when he damaged ankle ligaments in early May, not making a comeback until August.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/18971660|title=Leicestershire spinner Jigar Naik set for return from injury|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=11 June 2013}}

Naik did make an excellent start to the 2013 season when he took 5–98 against Worcestershire in early May.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/county-championship-roundup-leicestershire-offspinner-jigar-naik-claims-five-wickets-in-an-innings-for-first-time-since-august-2011-8610154.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220608/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/county-championship-roundup-leicestershire-offspinner-jigar-naik-claims-five-wickets-in-an-innings-for-first-time-since-august-2011-8610154.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Leicestershire off-spinner Jigar Naik claims five wickets in an innings for first time since August 2011|publisher=The Independent|accessdate=11 June 2013|location=London|first=Jon|last=Culley|date=9 May 2013}} His season came to a premature end when he dislocated a shoulder against Nottinghamshire on 12 July.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23503795|title=Leicestershire bowler out for four months|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=27 September 2013}}