SOMERSET have completed the signing of New Zealand international Ish Sodhi on a short-term contract.

The leg spinner will be available for the club’s remaining Vitality Blast fixtures and Finals Day, should Somerset qualify for the Edgbaston showpiece.

He may also be considered for selection for Somerset’s LV= Insurance County Championship match against Hampshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground which begins on July 10.

The 30-year-old has represented his country on over 160 occasions across the three formats of the game, taking in excess of 220 wickets.

It is in the shortest format that he has excelled, taking 118 IT20 wickets at an average of 22.88.He featured in a total of 236 T20 matches, taking 262 wickets at an average 24.40 with a best of six for 11.

Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry said: “Everyone is aware of the injuries that we have picked up to senior players over the last week or so.

"We are currently without the likes of Peter Siddle, Roelof van der Merwe and Lewis Gregory, so it was imperative at such a key stage of the Vitality Blast campaign that we acted quickly and identified a player who could add real value to our squad.

“Ish provides us with both international qualities and a vast amount of domestic T20 experience, which includes over 200 T20 games to date.

"He has previous experience of playing in the Blast and will add a wealth of knowhow to our ranks. He is renowned for his control and ability to bamboozle opposition batters and we can’t wait for him to join up with us later this week.”

After signing for the club, Sodhi said: “I’m looking forward to joining Somerset for the rest of the Blast. It’s a competition that I enjoy playing in and Somerset have done exceptionally well in the tournament so far.

"They’ve already qualified for a quarter-final and I hope that I can contribute to the team winning a few more games and help give the members and supporters some more success.”