Mumbai Indians star to represent Hampshire during short county stint

Mumbai Indians (MI) batting star Tilak Varma has signed a deal with Hampshire County Cricket Club for four first-class matches this season, with his stint spanning close to two months. According to Cricbuzz, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) have given him the NOC to play in England.

As reported by Cricbuzz, the 22-year-old will play for Hampshire from June 18 to August 2. The stint includes four county games; however, his participation in the one-day cup remains uncertain. Varma averages a healthy 50.16 in 18 first-class matches, along with five hundreds but hasn't played one since September 2024.

According to Cricbuzz, the HCA said in a statement.

"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 left-handed batter has featured in 29 international games so far, 25 of which are T20Is and averages 49.93 in the format with two tons and three fifties.

Tilak Varma blew hot and cold for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025

Tilak Varma (Image Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, Varma had a decent season for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025, managing 343 runs in 16 matches at 31.18 alongside a strike rate of 138.30. Nevertheless, the Mumbai Indians' campaign came to an end in Qualifier 2 when the Punjab Kings beat them convincingly at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to book their spot in the final.

The youngster was notably retired out during the match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana International Stadium, sparking some controversy as Mumbai went on to lose the game.

Varma, nevertheless, will be chuffed to get an experience of County cricket and will look to raise his case to play Test cricket for Team India in the near future.