YORKSHIRE have replaced their early-season overseas batsman Younus Khan with India’s Cheteshwar Pujara.

Pakistani Khan was due to fill in for Aaron Finch until the end of the Indian Premier League, and it had been agreed that he would not tour Bangladesh with his country later this month.

The 37-year-old, however, indicated to Yorkshire at the weekend that he would find it difficult to turn down a call-up, and the county champions opted to cancel his contract.

They now hope that Pujara, 27, will be available to play in the LV= County Championship opener against Worcestershire at New Road on April 12 having agreed to play four-day cricket until the end of May.

“When the deal was agreed initially, it was on the understanding that Younus would not tour Bangladesh with Pakistan,” explained Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

“Younus made it clear to us on Sunday that he would find it difficult to turn down should he be selected.

“At this late stage, that is no good to us. We had to make a decision, and as result we have decided to cancel his contract.

“We have moved quickly to bring in Pujara, and he is a superb player.

“He is an outstanding young Test cricketer. He is a classy right-hander that likes to dominate the crease, and he will be a big asset for us during the early part of the new campaign.”

Pujara has scored 2,076 runs in 27 Test matches, including four hundreds and two doubles.

He scored 206 not out in his sixth Test against England at Ahmedabad in 2012, the first Test of Joe Root’s debut series.

Pujara averages 57.1 in 108 first-class matches with a high score of 352, and he played briefly for Derbyshire at the end last season.

“I'm very excited and honoured to be signing for Yorkshire,” he said. “I was looking to return to the UK after my previous experience of county cricket, which I greatly enjoyed, and when Yorkshire made the offer, I didn't think twice.

“To wear the same white rose Sachin Tendulkar did is going to be a great feeling for me. I hope I can contribute to further success.”

Pujara’s father and uncle both played first-class cricket. Cheteshwar is no stranger to Headingley. He captained India A against Yorkshire in a three-day first-class draw in 2010, scoring 55 not out.