Experienced batter Unmukt Chand will become the first Indian male player to feature in the Big Bash League (BBL), after being unveiled as the Melbourne Renegades' second international signing for the upcoming season.
Unlike their female compatriots, Indian male players are not usually permitted to play in domestic competitions in other countries.
But former India under-19 captain Chand left his home country in September to sign a multi-year deal with Major League Cricket in the United States.
The 28-year-old will arrive in Australia later this month, joining English left-arm seamer Reece Topley in a Renegades squad led by long-time captain Aaron Finch.
Chand will be available for the duration of the BBL, as the Renegades attempt to reclaim the title they won for the first and only time in 2019.
"I've always wanted to play in leagues like these and it's great that now I have this opportunity to be representing the Renegades in the Big Bash, so for me it's big," Chand said in a Renegades statement.
"I really look forward to contributing as much as I can on the field. I'll give it my best shot."
Chand has previously played in Australia, having burst onto the scene as India captain at the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, scoring an unbeaten century against the hosts in the final.
He has also appeared for India A but was never capped at the senior level.
Chand played for Indian Premier League clubs Delhi, Mumbai and Rajasthan in a domestic career that lasted more than a decade.
"As a batter, Unmukt is dynamic and can change games quickly," Renegades coach David Saker said.
"He has spent much of his career at the top of the order, but we believe he has the flexibility to fill a variety of roles as we need."
AAP/ABC
