Another India star joins English club for County Championship as World no.3 T20I batter to play for Hampshire

Following Ruturaj Gaikwad's Yorkshire move, another India's star batter is set to join the English County club. World no.3 T20I batter Tilak Varma has been approached by English club Hampshire and is set to play for them in the upcoming County Championship, Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) announced on Wednesday, June 11.

Tilak Varma to play for Hampshire in County Championship

The star southpaw who and hails from Hyderabad, is also a part of the Mumbai Indians franchise in the Indian Premier League. He has represented the Indian national team in the shorter formats of the game, having played in 25 T20 International matches and four One Day Internationals, scoring 749 and 68 runs respectively.

“The Hyderabad Cricket Association is happy to inform that Hyderabad International player Mr. N Thakur Tilak Varma has been approached by the team Hampshire County to play in the UK County Championship League. The Hyderabad Cricket Association wishes him a great stint with Hampshire County,” HCA said in a statement.

In addition to his limited-overs experience, Tilak Varma has also proved his batting might in the longer format of the game. He has played in 18 First-Class matches, amassing a total of 1,204 runs at an impressive average of 50.16, with a highest score of 121 riding on five centuries and four half-centuries.

The 22-year-old has been a key player for Hyderabad, taking on a leadership role in the 2024 season where he captained the team in the Plate Group of domestic competitions. Under his captaincy, Hyderabad achieved notable success, including a victory over Nagaland in the semi-finals. Varma himself led from the front, scoring centuries against both Nagaland and Sikkim during this period. His prolific form continued into the 2024 Ranji season, where Varma consistently performed well for Hyderabad. He began the season with centuries in each of the first three matches. By the end of the 2023/24 Ranji season, Varma had amassed a total of 412 runs in just 4 matches, boasting an exceptional batting average of 137.33. These consistent performances have provided him with a strong foundation to showcase his skills, establishing him as a highly promising young talent within the Indian domestic cricket scene.

Varma's Hampshire move came after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad made a move to English county cricket. He has joined Yorkshire County Cricket Club and is set to be available for their County Championship match against Surrey at Scarborough in July.