Surrey head coach Gareth Batty has resigned as assistant coach at Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings.
Batty led Surrey to three consecutive County Championship titles in his first three seasons in charge and twice took them to T20 Finals Day.
“Thank you for everything Surrey has meant for me,” the former England spinner told the club’s website., external.
“This new journey is very exciting for my family and I and I can’t wait to get going.”
Batty’s departure ends a 21-year association with Surrey.
He had two spells as a player, the first from 1998 to 2001 after leaving Yorkshire. He then spent seven seasons with Worcestershire before returning to The Oval in 2010.
Batty captained the club between 2015 and 2017 and in total played over 350 times for Surrey, scoring over 500 goals in all formats.
Batty, who played nine Tests for England, retired in 2021 and immediately joined Surrey’s coaching staff.
After his appointment as head coach in 2022, Surrey became the first team in nearly 60 years to win three consecutive County Championship titles.
“It is difficult to put into words how much Gareth Batty has given to Surrey County Cricket Club as both a player and head coach,” said director of cricket Alec Stewart.
“I have known and worked with Gareth for many years and during that time he has shown an outstanding commitment to this club.
“While we are sorry to see him go, I understand that this opportunity was too good for him to pass up and will allow him to spend more time with his family outside the IPL season.”
Three of the 10 teams to play in the County Championship Division One next season are now without a manager after Glamorgan’s Richard Dawson joined the England squad and newly promoted Durham’s Ryan Campbell stepped up to become the club’s director of cricket.