India batsman Shreyas Iyer has joined Lancashire for the 2021 Royal London Cup, the English county club announced on Monday.
"Lancashire Cricket is delighted to announce the overseas signing of Indian international batsman Shreyas Iyer for the 2021 Royal London Cup,” the club posted on its official Twitter handle.
Iyer, who has played 21 ODIs and 29 T20s, will arrive at Emirates Old Trafford on July 15 ahead of the start of the 50 overs’ tournament and remain with the ‘Red Rose' for the duration of the month-long group stage, the club added.
"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,” said Shreyas.
"Emirates Old Trafford is a world class international stadium and I am looking forward to meeting my teammates and the supporters of the Club,” added Iyer, who also captains Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals.
Lancashire's Director of Cricket Paul Allott said Shreyas is one of the shining lights of a new generation of Indian batsmen.
“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,” said Allott.
Lancashire will kick-off their Royal London Cup campaign at home to Sussex on July 23, with a friendly fixture against Cumberland CCC on July 20.
It also said that Iyer's signing signals the latest step in Lancashire's long association with Indian cricket, which stretches back over 50 years when former India stumper Farokh Engineer joined the county in 1968.
Since Engineer retired, four further Indian internationals – Murali Kartik, Dinesh Mongia, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly – represented the club.
