Hampshire Confirms Signing of Tilak Varma for County Championship

Hampshire County Cricket Club has officially announced the signing of Indian batter Tilak Varma for their upcoming red-ball games in the County Championship. Varma will be available for Hampshire's next four fixtures, beginning with their away match against Essex.

Varma has an impressive international record, having represented India in 29 matches, including 25 T20Is where he has scored 749 runs with two centuries and three fifties. His notable performances include back-to-back centuries against South Africa in November 2024 and a 72* against England earlier this year. He made his T20 debut in 2019 and was signed by Mumbai Indians for the 2022 IPL season. Since then, he has accumulated nearly 1500 runs in 54 IPL matches, averaging 37.47 with a strike rate of 144.41. As of June 2025, Varma holds the second-highest average for any men's batter in T20I cricket at 49.93 and the highest among ICC full members.

In red-ball cricket, the left-handed batter has played 18 first-class matches, representing India A in the Duleep Trophy and facing England Lions in two matches in early 2024. He has scored over 1200 runs with five centuries and four fifties, averaging 50.16.

Giles White, Director of Cricket at Hampshire, expressed excitement about Varma's signing: "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."

Hampshire currently sits in seventh place in the County Championship Division One. Fans will have their first opportunity to see Varma in action against Essex at Chelmsford from June 22-25, followed by his home debut against Worcestershire from June 29 to July 2.

Player:

• Name: Tilak Varma
• Nationality: India
• Role: Batter
• International Record: 29 matches (25 T20Is, 749 runs, 2 centuries, 3 fifties)
• IPL Record: 54 matches, 1500 runs, 8 fifties, average of 37.47, strike rate of 144.41
• First-Class Record: 18 matches, 1200+ runs, 5 centuries, 4 fifties, average of 50.16