Updated 11 June 2025 at 20:05 IST
Mumbai Indians Star Batter N Tilak Varma Set to Play County Cricket for Hampshire in Ongoing Season
N Tilak Varma, best known for his IPL showings with the Mumbai Indians, will be a part of Hampshire's County cricket season for close to two months.
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Tilak Varma during IPL 2025 | Image:
IPL/BCCI
Indian players looking to boost their red-ball cricket credentials have often turned to England's first-class County Cricket Championship for extra game time, and this season has been no different. The likes of Arshdeep Singh and Ruturaj Gaikwad have already signed county deals with Kent and Yorkshire, respectively. And the latest Indian player to join the ranks this season is Mumbai Indians batter N Tilak Varma.
Tilak, who plays domestic cricket for Hyderabad, has signed a deal with Hampshire and will be with the side for nearly two months by the county that is based in Southampton. The BCCI and the Hyderabad Cricket Association have both handed him a no objection certificate (NOC) for the stint.
Reports suggest that Tilak will be with the side from June 18 to August 2, during which time he will play four first-class games for the side.
HCA Wishes Tilak Good Luck
The HCA even put out a statement confirming the news and wishing him a good stint with the side.
"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," the HCA said in a statement.
At this point in time, most know Tilak for being a white-ball player and he has even represented India in both ODIs and T20Is. But his red-ball credentials are promising too.
Tilak's Red-ball Stats
He has played 18 first-class games so far in his career, and in that time has scored 1204 runs at an average of 50.16 and a strike rate of 58.76.
Tilak has also bowled occasionally in first class cricket and has taken 8 wickets with a career-best of 3-13.
Given India largely lack a consistent left-handed presence in the middle order of the Test side aside from Rishabh Pant, Tilak could well be an option for the side in the future.
Published 11 June 2025 at 20:05 IST