Coach Mark Robinson believes Mahela Jayawardene can help revive Sussex’s Twenty20 fortunes after winning the race to sign the Sri Lanka international.

The Sharks swooped to secure Jayawardene for the first seven games of the NatWest T20 Blast after the 37-year-old missed out in the IPL auction.

Sussex are close to securing a second overseas signing for the remainder of the Twenty20 campaign as they bid to bounce back from two disappointing seasons in the shortest format of the game.

Robinson said: “We’re really excited to get someone of Mahela’s pedigree and I’m sure he will be a popular signing with the supporters. He didn’t get picked for the IPL which made him available and we were in a position to jump in quickly and beat off a bit of competition.

“It is hard to sign quality overseas players for T20 due to things like the IPL and CPL (Caribbean Premier League) so we feel lucky to land a player like Mahela.”

Jayawardene helped Sri Lanka win the World Twenty20 in 2014 before retiring from international Twenty20 cricket with an average in excess of 30.

He will also retire from one-day internationals after the current World Cup having ended his glittering Test career in August.

The former Sri Lanka captain will make his debut against Kent on May 15 before leaving to join up with the Jamaica Tallawahs after the clash with Hampshire on June 19.

Jayawardene said: “I am really exciting about basing myself down at Hove and playing for Sussex during the first half of the summer.

“Sussex is a great club with a proud history and I want to help them win the NatWest T20 Blast this year."