Shafali Verma And Radha Yadav Set For Maiden WBBL Stint
Published - 13 May 2021, 04:01 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:45 AM
Indian swashbuckling opener Shafali Verma and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav are all set to make their Women Big Bash League (WBBL) debut later this year.
According to a report published in ESPNCricinfo, the 17-year-old Shafali Verma has already signed a contract with two-time champions Sydney Sixers while Radha Yadav is also set to sign a contract with one of the two Sydney-based franchises.
Verma is also set to feature in the inaugural season of the Hundred where she will be joined by the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues.
“Yes, Shafali has signed the contract with Sydney Sixers, and given she is a minor, I have had to give my consent, too,” Shafali Verma’s father, Sanjeev, told ESPNcricinfo.
“I would like to thank the BCCI and Haryana Cricket Association [HCA] for giving my daughter the permission and support to play in the WBBL. Without the guidance of the HCA, whatever Shafali is doing in her career wouldn’t have been possible,” he added.
According to a senior BCCI official, the upcoming season of the WBBL will see the largest-ever Indian contingent with one more Indian cricketer apart from the aforementioned names set to sign a contract with one of the franchises.
“All players who have been or will be approached by Big Bash teams will be given all necessary permissions to participate in the WBBL this season,” the official was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Only three Indians have previously featured in the WBBL. While T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and opener Smriti Mandhana made their respective debuts for Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat during the 2016/17 season, Veda Krishnamurthy played a solitary season for the Hobart Hurricanes the following year.
None of the Indian cricketers took part in the last edition of the WBBL due to the BCCI conducting the Women’s IPL in the United Arab Emirates around the same time.
