Hampshire have confirmed the signing of India batter Tilak Varma for four County Championship matches.
Tilak Varma signs for Hampshire
In a press release on Wednesday (June 18), the club announced, “Young Indian batting talent Tilak Varma has joined Hampshire for four County Championship matches. The 22-year-old from Hyderabad will be available for Hampshire men’s next four fixtures in the Rothesay County Championship, starting with the Rose and Crown’s away clash with Essex.”
Giles White, Hampshire Director of Cricket, said: “It’s fantastic to have Tilak available for the next four County Championship matches. He’s an exciting talent who has already made a big impact on the international stage and in the IPL, and we look forward to seeing what he can do for Hampshire this summer.”
Varma is yet to play Test cricket, but has represented India in both white-ball formats, with four ODIs and 25 T20Is to his name so far. Earlier this year, he made an impression in the T20Is against England with a composed 72 to ice a tricky run-chase in Chennai, and last November excelled on a tour of South Africa, with back-to-back T20I centuries.
The first of those tons made him the third-youngest player from a Full Member nation to reach three figures in a T20I innings, and the second made him one of five players to go back-to-back.
Incredibly, he followed up those efforts with 151 for Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, making him the first player to score centuries in three consecutive T20 innings.
What is Tilak Varma's record in first-class cricket?
Varma made his first-class debut in December 2018, a month after his 16th birthday. His 18 matches in the format so far have been highly productive, yielding 1,204 runs at an average of 50.16.
His involvement in T20I cricket meant he missed the most recent Ranji Trophy season. Varma's last first-class game came in the Duleep Trophy last September, where he made five and 19.
Tilak Varma in first-class cricket
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | SR | 100s | 50s | High Score |
| 18 | 28 | 1204 | 50.16 | 58.76 | 5 | 4 | 121 |
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