BCCI grants NOCs to 4 Indian women cricketers to play in the Hundred
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has granted (No Objection Certificates) NOCs to four women cricketers to take part in the inaugural edition of the Hundred. As per ESPNCricinfo, the four Indian players who are set to be involved in the competition are Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodriguez, Deepti Sharma, and Harmanpreet Kaur.
The league was set to start in 2020 but was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The much-awaited tournament, organized by the England Cricket Board, will now start on July 21. Along with the women's edition, there will be a men's edition, which starts on July 22.
An innings in the Hundred will comprise of 100 balls with a change of end at every 10 deliveries. The women's edition comprises of eight teams.
Some notable overseas players who will be involved in the Hundred are Meg Lanning, Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry, and Alyssa Healy. Meanwhile, wicket-keeper- batsman Sarah Taylor has come out of retirement and will play for Welsh Fire. The women's edition will kick off with a game between the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals.
India women's team set to play first Test since 2014
The Indian women's cricket team will travel to England in June to play against the host nation in all three formats.
The BCCI recently announced India's tour of England, with the women's team set to play three ODIs, three T20Is and a one-off Test match. It will be India's first Test since November 2014. The likes of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, whose careers have spanned close to two decades in international cricket, have only played 10 Tests each thus far.
India's tour of England starts on 16 June with a one-match Test series. The tour will conclude on July 15 with the third T20I. Following the tour, the four Indian players will stay back to play in the Hundred.