List of Indian players signed for the upcoming WBBL season
The premier T20 franchise tournament for the women's game, the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), is set for an Indian influx in their seventh season that will get underway on October 14, 2021.
No Indian player took part in the inaugural edition of the WBBL before Harmanpreet Kaur paved the way in 2016 as she signed with the Sydney Thunder. The likes of Smriti Mandhana and Veda Krishnamurthy have also made their mark in the WBBL over the years.
The Indian Women's Cricket Team is already in Australia for a multi-format series featuring three ODIs, a pink-ball Test and three T20Is. The series will conclude with the final T20I played on October 10, following which the Indian players who have bagged contracts will stay back to play in the WBBL.
A total of seven Indian players have already been signed for the seventh edition of the WBBL. Here's a list of the players and the franchises they have signed up for.
Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma sign for the Sydney Thunder
Smriti Mandhana made her WBBL debut for the Brisbane Heat in 2016. She also went on to represent the Hobart Hurricanes recently, but will don the green Sydney Thunder jersey this season.
In 23 WBBL innings, Mandhana has scored 407 runs with a highest score of 69. Over the years, Mandhana has also been vocal about how the franchise tournament has enabled her to grow as a player, with the exposure provided alongside some of the world's best players.
Her international counterpart Deepti Sharma has also been signed by the two-time champions and will be making her debut in the T20 tournament. Sharma's all-round ability has meant that she has been a hot property for sides in white-ball franchise tournaments in recent times. She played for the London Spirit in the recent Hundred tournament and will be looking to make her mark in the WBBL as well.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues sign for the Melbourne Renegades
Harmanpreet Kaur was the first Indian player to play in the Big Bash League. She has represented the Sydney Thunder in the past but has now been bagged by the Melbourne Renegades.
In 35 matches for the Thunder, Harmanpreet made 713 runs at a strike rate of 116.89 with three fifties to her name, averaging 35.65. She also took 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.53.
The Indian vice-captain will be joined by her Indian teammate, Jemimah Rodrigues. The 21-year old has been in sublime form in recent times but still hasn't managed to find her way back into the Indian team. Rodrigues will be looking to make the most of this opportunity and remind everyone what she's all about as she makes her debut in the tournament.
It's official. Lil J is a Renegade.
Welcome aboard, @JemiRodrigues!
#GETONRED
Shafali Verma and Radha Yadav sign for the Sydney Sixers
Two other Indian women are set to make their debuts in the WBBL this season. Teenage sensation Shafali Verma and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav have been signed by two-time champions, the Sydney Sixers.
Shafali Verma is regarded as one of the best T20 batters around the globe and the rankings do justice to that claim as well. She recently played in The Hundred for the Birmingham Pheonix and had a fairly quiet tournament. However, with the likes of Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry at the top of the order for the Sixers, the addition of Verma will bolster an already destructive batting unit.
Meanwhile, Radha Yadav will be looking to make the most of this opportunity and display what she can provide to the side with her restrictive bowling.
Richa Ghosh, the latest Indian young gun, signs for the Hobart Hurricanes
Richa Ghosh is another young Indian player who will make her debut in the WBBL this season. The 17-year old has caught the eye after her recent performances in the ODI series against Australia.
The opportunity to play in this esteemed franchise tournament will do a world of good for the youngster, allowing her to gain the experience and exposure she needs at this young age.
The influx of Indian players in this year's WBBL is due to the fact that the Indian team is already in Australia. Having gone through strict quarantine restrictions in Australia, the door is open for more Indian players to be signed by various franchises in the tournament.