12 Indian players included in WBBL draft list feat. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh
A total of 12 Indian players have been included in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft for the upcoming edition of the T20 tournament, scheduled to be played from October 19 to December 2.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, who represented Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes, respectively, have been included alongside India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar.
Radha Yadav, who has previously played for Sydney Sixes, has also been nominated. Veda Krishnamurthy could return to the league, having played for Hurricanes in the third edition of WBBL.
Renuka Thakur, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Sneh Rana, Shreyanka Patil, Yastika Bhatia, and Hurley Gala would be keen to make their WBBL debuts if selected.
Foreign players have been nominated for the draft across three categories – Gold ($90K), Silver ($65K), and Bronze ($40K). The overseas draft will be a televised event on September 3.
Surprisingly, none of the Indian players could make an impact in the last edition of the league. Vastrakar, though, returned with 32 runs and two wickets for Brisbane Heat in seven games. Rodrigues was the second-best Indian player, with 44 runs in five outings.
Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana, who skipped the last edition of the tournament, wasn’t included in the draft pick for the upcoming season.
Country-wise list of WBBL draft nominees
India: Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Hurley Gala, Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Shreyanka Patil, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav
England: Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Katie Levick, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt
New Zealand: Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr
South Africa: Suné Luus, Shabnim Ismail
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu
West Indies: Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack
Pakistan: Fatima Sana
The WBBL opener will be played between two-time champions Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars in North Sydney Oval on October 19. The final will to take place on December 2.