The 22-year-old batsman made 10 appearances for the Chelmsford club after coming through the academy setup
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Rishi Patel will leave Essex for Leicestershire ahead of the 2021 county season.
The 22-year-old batsman made 10 appearances for the Chelmsford club after coming through the academy setup. He had been with Essex since the age of seven.
Patel moves to the Fischer County Ground on a three-year contract, having spent time on loan at Leicestershire during the 2020 campaign.
"The club has a fantastic group of players already at the club and have laid the foundations to earn success in the future," he said.
"I hope to become part of that success working with [head coach] Paul Nixon and the coaching staff. I can’t wait to get going and hit the ground running."
Nixon said: "Rishi adds further competition to a young, hungry squad and we look forward to him scoring lots of runs for us.
"We know that Rishi will continue to grow with us as a cricketer and he’s all set for a big winter to settle in ahead of the 2021 season."
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