Indian born opening bowler Melvin Deveraj is believed to be on the cusp of a move to the North West where he hopes to play a major role for the Warriors in the interprovincial series.

The 26 year-old has been a regular presence in the Leinster Premiership with Merrion, where he has captured 52 wickets at 18.86 with his brisk medium-fast swing bowling.

Deveraj also impressed at interprovincial level where he has played 13 times for Leinster Lightning, taking 13 wickets at 25.85, having three-wicket returns against both the Northern Knights and NW Warriors.

However, Cricket Ireland's cull of the interpro set-up has seen the demise of Munster Reds, cutting the number of players needed for the 2026 season.

With Deveraj surplus to Lightning's requirements, a move to the Warriors would appear to be his best option.

There is no requirement for Warriors players to be based within the Union, but Deveraj probably rightly has assumed the best chance for him to succeed is to be embedded within the Union despite Merrion's best efforts to keep him.

If Deveraj does opt to move, there will be no shortage of interested clubs, although it is rumoured that Donemana are in primes position to sign him after the club was given a glowing reference by their former professional Anuj Jotin, a friend of Deveraj, following his successful tenure there last season.

Indeed, it was Jotin who knocked Merrion out of the Irish Senior Cup.

A case of watch this space. All should become clearer when the interprovincial squads are released in the coming days.