Leicestershire County Cricket Club on Tuesday (January 31) confirmed the signing of veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane for the 2023 season.

The club revealed on its website that Rahane is set to arrive in June following his IPL campaign with Chennai Super Kings, and will be available for eight County Championship matches as well as the entirety of the One Day Cup.

Rahane has amassed more than 8000 runs at the international level, including 12 hundreds in Test cricket and three centuries in the 50-over format.

“I’m really happy to be joining Leicestershire for the upcoming season. I can’t wait to play alongside my new teammates and explore the vibrant city of Leicester," Rahane said after his signing.

This will be Rahane's second stint in county cricket after he became the first Indian cricketer to play for Hampshire in 2019. He is Leicestershire’s latest overseas signing for 2023, joining Wiaan Mulder and Naveen-ul-Haq.

Commenting on Rahane’s signing, Leicestershire’s Director of Cricket, Claude Henderson said: “I’m extremely excited to welcome Ajinkya to Leicestershire. He comes with a lot of experience and a tremendous work ethic. It’s a great opportunity for us to tap into that.”

“I had conversations with (Assistant Coach) Alfonso Thomas and (Head Coach) Paul Nixon, who had eyed Ajinkya in the past, so he was always on our radar. It was a case of seeing what the team needed, which was definitely a senior overseas batsman, so we are delighted to have secured someone of Ajinkya’s calibre.”