Will Pucovski: Australian batter joins Leicestershire for start of 2024 season

Will Pucovski has scored 189 runs in five Sheffield Shield games for Victoria this winter

Leicestershire have signed Australian batter Will Pucovski for the opening five County Championship games of the 2024 season.

The 25-year-old has scored 2,197 first-class runs at an average of 43.94 and played one Test against India in 2021.

His progress, though, has been interrupted by a series of concussions.

Pucovski will join Victoria team-mate Peter Handscomb at Grace Road and provide cover while Wiaan Mulder completes the South African season.

He will play the four Championship fixtures in April, starting with an away game against Yorkshire, plus a trip to Lord's to face Middlesex, starting on 3 May.

"Talking to Pete [Handscomb], he couldn't speak more highly about the environment and club's group of players and staff. I can't wait to get over there and be part of a successful start to the season," Pucovski said.

Leicestershire finished fourth in Championship Division Two last summer - but did win the One-Day Cup, their first List A trophy for 38 years.

Pucovski became just the eighth Australian to hit a Sheffield Shield double century before the age of 21 when he made 243 against Western Australia at the WACA in 2018.

And he improved on that with a career-best 255 not out against South Australia during the 2020-21 campaign.

He marked his one and only Test appearance by scoring 62 in the first innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"He has impressed for a while in the longer format, and he will give our batting lineup a real boost at the start of the summer," said Foxes director of cricket Claude Henderson.