A product of Essex's academy, Rishi Patel made four Championship appearances during the club's 2019 title-winning campaign, along with a List A debut during the Royal London Cup. He first came to attention after equalling Darren Robinson's 2nd XI record of five centuries in a season in 2018, winning a call-up to the first team for the tour match against India. He subsequently began a Sports Science degree at Anglia Ruskin university, and his maiden first-class appearance came against Essex for the Cambridge MCCU team at the start of the summer. There were some attractive shots on display, but with a top score of 35 in both formats, he moved to Leicestershire in 2020 in search of new beginnings. A maiden List A century against Warwickshire in 2021 was followed by three Championship fifties in 2022, including a near-miss of 99 against Sussex at Hove.
ESPNcricinfo staff