The Hundred | Team Preview: Superchargers need others to fill big boots of Stokes, Alyssa Healy,
One-off Test between INDW & ENGW to be played on a used wicket in Bristol: Reports
The Hundred Women | Shefali Verma signs up with Birmingham Phoenix
Shafali Verma on radar of The Hundred teams as replacement candidate
Indian eves’ dynamic T20I opener, Shafali Verma might be the fifth woman cricketer from the country to play in the inaugural edition of The Hundred. The 17-year-old is being looked upon as a replacement for South African cricketers, five of whom have been signed up for the eight-team tournament. Four Indians in T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, all-rounder Deepti Sharma and middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues have already been signed by Manchester Originals, Southern Brave, London Spirit and Northern Superchargers respectively for the tournament that begins on July 21. South Africa’s Chloe Tryon, Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee, skipper Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp have contracts from various sides of The Hundred. However, since flights from the rainbow nation have been suspended to the United Kingdom since December 2020, it would be very tough for the players to make it to the competition. Although India is also on the red list for travel to the UK due to the deadly second wave of Coronavirus, the Indian Men’s and Women’s teams are scheduled to tour England in June according to ICC’s Future Tour Programs. Hence it would be easier for Indian women to be available for the tournament than the South African contingent. Verma, the number one T20I batter in ICC'S rankings for Women, has so far played 22 T20Is scoring 617 runs at an average which is touching 30 and a dangerous strike rate of 148. The youngest Indian T20I debutant has three fifties and a best of 73 in her kitty as well.
Mandhana, Jemimah, Harmanpreet and Deepti to be part of The Hundred, get BCCI NOC
Four Indian women’s team players who represented various teams in the now-defunct Kia super League, the domestic T20 tournament for Women in England, would now be part of The Hundred. The up and coming tournament is a first of its kind and would be played between eight franchise teams in England and Wales. These four players are likely to fill up the spaces in Southern Brave, London Spirit, Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers, each of whom have a slot for the foreign player left. Each side is eligible to sign three foreigners and three England centrally contracted player in tier roaster. The Indian women would be in England in June where they would be involved in three series f three formats, which include a one-off Test at Bristol on June 16. The tour concludes with the third and last T20I on July 15. The Hundred kicks off July 21 with the women teams of Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals meeting at the Oval in London before their male teams meet the next day at the same venue. India Women getting permission to play in foreign leagues is a welcome event as they were not allowed to take part in the last year's Women's BBL.