Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav set to feature in their maiden WBBL

New Delhi, May 14: In a major development, India batter Shafali Verma and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav are set to make their Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) debuts later this year in Australia.

 

 

According to the reports, Verma has already inked a deal with two-time champions Sydney Sixers. Besides, Yadav will be signing a contract with one of the two Sydney-based clubs. Apart from these two Indian players, at least one more Indian player is likely to make her maiden appearance in the competition this season.

 

"Yes, Shafali has signed the contract with Sydney Sixers, and given she is a minor, I have had to give my consent, too," Verma's father, Sanjeev, told the news agency "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."

 

 

Verma, as reported by sports.newsbharati.com, will be making her debut in the inaugural edition of the Hundred, the 100-ball domestic competition of the England Cricket Board. Along with her, other Indian players - Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues - will be joining the tournament.

 

It should be noted that only three India players have played in the WBBL previously. India T20I captain Kaur and vice-captain Mandhana made their debuts in the 2016-17 edition for the Sydney Thunder and the Brisbane Heat respectively. While Kaur played three straight seasons for the Thunder, Mandhana's second bow in the competition was for the Hobart Hurricanes, in 2018-19. Veda Krishnamurthy played a solitary season, in 2017-18, also for the Hurricanes.

 

 

The seventh season of the WBBL is likely to run in its usual October-November window, and overseas players will be expected to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival in Australia.