Tilak Varma signs a short-term deal with Hampshire

Tilak Varma, the young Indian batter, has signed a short-term deal with Hampshire that will see him play four County Championship matches for them in June and July.

Tilak, 22, has played four ODIs and 25 T20Is for India and impressed for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, but has played only 18 first-class matches. He will look to build on a strong start to his red-ball career in England: he has already scored five first-class hundreds - including one for India A against New Zealand A - and averages 50.16 in the format.

Hampshire, who were acquired by the Indian conglomerate GMR Group last year, are seventh in Division One of the County Championship after a mixed start to the season. Tilak's arrival ahead of their game against Essex at Chelmsford on June 22 should help to bolster a batting line-up that has struggled since James Vince decided to quit red-ball cricket.

Hampshire had initially hoped that Dewald Brevis would be available for their two Championship fixtures at the end of June, but he will instead be with South Africa's Test squad in Zimbabwe.

Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius will both miss the second half of the T20 Blast group stage after their call-ups, and Hampshire's director of cricket Giles White said on Friday that the club was in "advanced conversations" for replacements. Tilak will not be eligible to play in the Blast, since the BCCI does not allow active Indian men's players to feature in overseas T20 leagues.

Tilak will join a handful of other Indian players in the Championship, with Ruturaj Gaikwad set to join Yorkshire for the second half of the summer and Yuzvendra Chahal due to return to Northamptonshire later this month.

Hampshire are yet to announce Tilak's signing, but his domestic team said on Wednesday: "The Hyderabad Cricket Association wishes him a great stint with Hampshire County."