ESSEX all-rounder Graham Napier is edging nearer to tying up a deal that would see him playing in the Indian Premier League and possibly missing the first seven weeks of the domestic season.

“I am getting closer to finalising a deal to sign for Mumbai Indians to play in the IPL although Mumbai are still in the process of agreeing my release from Essex for the duration of the competition, but hopefully that will all be agreed soon,” he revealed.

The Colchester-born player has spent much of the winter playing in New Zealand for Wellington in addition to playing club cricket.

As a hard-hitting batsman and incisive new ball bowler, Napier was always going to be a target for the IPL after his record breaking 152 not out in the Twenty20 Cup against Sussex last year.

And his prowess in the shortest form of the game has opened up opportunities on three fronts to potentially secure a place in the lucrative Champions League later this year.

“If things go to plan there is a chance I could be representing three teams in domestic Twenty20 competitions over the next few months — all with ambitions of reaching the inaugural Champions League,” he explained.

“An extra incentive for winning New Zealand’s Twenty20 competition is the possibility that it might earn that side a place in the Champions League towards the end of the year,” the 29 year-old stated.

“Nobody is 100 per cent sure whether that will be the case but it nevertheless gives me another possibility of reaching that prestigious tournament should Essex not get there.”

Napier’s attempts to assist Wellington into the knockout stages of the 50 overs per side State Shield floundered when they only managed four wins from their 10 matches to finish fifth out of six teams in the group table.

“Such underperforming was very disappointing considering the squad we have,” he reflected.

“We didn’t have a settled team because of a few international calls that left us without three or four players on occasions but that’s not much of an excuse as other sides had the same problem and coped with it.

“We lacked experience in the middle order at times during the Shield and that can be costly in the one-day game.

“I have to take part of that responsibility with the bat as I was very disappointed with my form in the Shield — just one score over 50, in a game that was already gone.

“I was given the opportunity to open the batting three times but was unable to contribute any significant total despite making two starts of over 20.”

Whilst he may not have set the stage alight with his batting, he certainly achieved success with the ball.

“Yes, my bowling was a different matter,” he enthused. ”I took 21 wickets and that was more than any other bowler in the group stage.”