Tilak Varma Set to Play County Season with Hampshire Cricket Club, HCA Grants NOC

The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has confirmed that 22-year-old Tilak Varma, one of Mumbai Indians’ rising stars, will be heading to England to play for Hampshire in the upcoming County Championship. The HCA has officially approved the move, allowing the deal with the English county club to go ahead. The left-handed batter was approached by Hampshire recently and now he’s all set to take on a new challenge in English conditions.

In an official statement, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) shared its excitement about Tilak Varma’s upcoming stint in England. “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 release said, as quoted by PTI. “The Hyderabad Cricket Association wishes him a great stint with Hampshire County.”

According to a report by Cricbuzz, Tilak Varma will play for Hampshire from June 18 to August 2, during which he’s expected to take part in four four-day matches. It’s still not confirmed whether he will also play in any white-ball games for the county.

A Crucial Red-Ball Opportunity in England for the Young Indian Batter

Tilak Varma, the 22-year-old from Hyderabad who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL is set to join Hampshire for the upcoming County Championship in England. He has already played 25 T20Is and 4 ODIs for India scoring 749 and 68 runs in those formats. In First-Class cricket, Tilak has done well, scoring 1204 runs in 28 innings at an average of 50.16 includes five centuries and four fifties, with a top score of 121.

This opportunity in England could really help his chances of making it to India’s Test team, especially with a middle-order spot possibly opening up after Virat Kohli’s retirement. While Tilak was retained by Mumbai Indians, his 2025 IPL season wasn’t great—he scored 343 runs in 16 games with a strike rate of 138.31. A good run in the County Championship could be just what he needs to push his case for a place in the red-ball squad.

Hampshire Updated Squad

Ali Orr, Fletcha Middleton, Mark Stoneman, Nick Gubbins, Tom Prest, Brett Hampton, Dewald Brevis, Felix Organ, James Fuller, Liam Dawson, Ben Brown, Toby Albert, Brad Wheal, John Turner, Kyle Abbott, Sonny Baker, Tilak Varma.

ALSO READ: RCB Released Players 2026: Five Players Likely to Be Dropped (ft. Livingstone)