Akhil Patel has signed a new two-year contract with Nottinghamshire.

The 19-year old batsman made his LV= County Championship debut this season and appeared in four NatWest Pro40 fixtures after joining from neighbours Derbyshire.

“My aim for next season is to play more first class cricket and initially that means trying to secure a place in the one day side,” said Akhil.

“I felt a lot of pressure when I made my first appearance for Notts but I benefited from some exposure towards the end of the season and hopefully that has put me in good stead for the new campaign.”

Patel has begun his rehabilitation following keyhole surgery to address a niggling knee injury last week and expects to be fully fit in time for the new season.

Following in the footsteps of elder brother Samit has focussed the spotlight on Akhil but he is keen to establish himself in his own right.

“I’ve had some good advice from Samit and experienced pros like Ali Brown and Mark Ealham and I take that on board but I want to establish myself by playing consistently good cricket,” he said.

“I’m very happy at Notts and I like the setup so I have to work on my game and make progress over the next two years.”

Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell was delighted to extend Akhil’s stay at Trent Bridge.

“Akhil has developed his game quicker than we anticipated over the past 12 months and he has the potential to become an established member of our team,” said Newell.

“He fits the bill because he’s a talented, young cricketer who works very hard on his game.”