English county Lancashire on Monday announced the overseas signing of India batsman Shreyas Iyer for the 2021 Royal London Cup. Iyer will arrive at Old Trafford on July 15 ahead of the start of the 50-over tournament and will remain with Lancashire for the duration of the month-long group stage. The top-order batsman is regarded as one of the most attacking and fluent stroke players in Indian cricket and he has played in 21 ODIs and 29 T20 Internationals for his country.

About the signing, Shreyas said: “Lancashire is a legendary name in English Cricket with a long-standing association with Indian Cricket. I am extremely humbled and honoured to carry the legacy forward of greats like Farokh Engineer, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman at Lancashire.

“Old Trafford is a world-class international stadium and I am looking forward to meeting my teammates and the supporters of the club.”

Shreyas, 26, has also excelled in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and captained Delhi Capitals to the final last year when he made 519 runs — the fourth highest in the tournament — at a strike rate of 123.

Following the conclusion of the last IPL, Shreyas played in all three matches of India’s 2-1 ODI series victory in Australia and he is part of the ODI squad for the series against England.

He averages just short of 45 in ODI cricket with eight fifties and a century to his name since debuting in 2017.

The signing of Shreyas Iyer signals the latest step in Lancashire’s long association with Indian cricket, which stretches back more than 50 years when India wicketkeeper-batsman Farokh Engineer joined the county in 1968.

Promoted

He would go on to become a Lancashire legend and now serves as a vice-president of the club.

Since Engineer retired, four other Indian players — Murali Kartik, Dinesh Mongia, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly — have represented Lancashire.