Promising Indian batter Tilak Varma is all set to embark on his maiden county stint, with Hampshire County Cricket Club roping him in for a short four-match engagement in the ongoing County Championship. While the formal contract signing is still awaited, Tilak has already received the green light from both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), having been issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Confirming the development, the HCA released a statement: “The Hyderabad Cricket Association is pleased to announce that Hampshire County has approached international cricketer Mr. N Thakur Tilak Varma to play in the County Championship in the United Kingdom. We wish him every success during his stint.”
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Tilak Varma is expected to make his debut in county cricket against Essex at Chelmsford on June 22. Hampshire, currently struggling at seventh in Division One, are banking on the left-hander to inject stability into their batting order after an underwhelming start to the season.
Tilak Varma will play four County Championship matches for Hampshire in June and July
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The 22-year-old southpaw has already donned the India jersey in 25 T20Is and four ODIs, amassing 749 and 68 runs respectively.
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Though he is yet to feature in Test cricket, Tilak Varma has shown solid credentials in the longer format, having scored 1204 runs in 18 first-class matches at an average of over 50, with five centuries to his name, including a standout ton against New Zealand A. Tilak’s move mirrors a recent trend, with players like Ruturaj Gaikwad also exploring county cricket to fine-tune their red-ball game.
