Lancashire sign Shreyas Iyer for Royal London Cup

The top-order batsman has made 21 ODI appearances for India, scoring 807 runs at a strike rate of 100.74, and will represent Lancashire during the tournament’s group stage

County cricket squad updates

Lancashire have signed India batsman Shreyas Iyer for the 2021 Royal London Cup.

The 26-year old, who has made 50 white-ball appearances for India, will arrive at Old Trafford in time for the start of the 50-over tournament and remain with the county for the duration of the group stage.

Iyer, a right-handed top-order batsman, has made 21 ODI appearances for India, scoring 807 runs at a strike rate of 100.74, and has nearly 4,000 List A runs – including eight centuries and 25 half-centuries – to his name.

In T20 cricket, Iyer captained Delhi Capitals to the final of last year’s Indian Premier League and struck a huge 519 runs to cement his reputation as one of the most attacking and fluent stroke players in Indian cricket.

Iyer will become the sixth Indian international to represent Lancashire, following in the footsteps of Farokh Engineer, Murali Kartik, Dinesh Mongia, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly.

Commenting on signing for the county, Iyer 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.

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

Meanwhile, Lancashire’s director of cricket, Paul Allott, said: "Shreyas is one of the shining lights of a new generation of Indian batsmen and a leader, and we’re delighted that an opportunity to bring him to Emirates Old Trafford has presented itself.

"With the expectation that we will be fielding a younger side in this year’s Royal London Cup due to the Hundred, it was important that we brought in a top-order batsman with experience at the highest level to enhance our prospects in the tournament.  

"Shreyas has experience of captaining in an IPL final as well as playing in top level international fixtures, so his on-field skills, and ability to remain calm in high pressure situations, will serve our young squad well this summer.

"His current form against England has been hugely impressive and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford later this summer."

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