Teen sensation Shafali Verma is certainly making the right moves. After signing up for The Hundred, the 17-year old Indian star joined the Sydney Sixers and would be making her Women’s Big Bash League debut later this year. Shafali’s father told ESPNCricinfo about the latest development. Her father thanked the BCCI and Haryana Cricket Association for giving her daughter the permission and support to play the WBBL.
“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 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.”
The same report also suggests that left-arm spinner Radha Yadav is also likely to make her WBBL debut this year, which would make it India’s largest-ever contingent at the event.
“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,” a senior BCCI official said on the condition of anonymity.
Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Veda Krishnamurthy are the only three Indian cricketers who have featured in the WBBL. That means this season, India would have five stars featuring in the lucrative WBBL. The 2021 season of the WBBL is set to start in October. All players are required to complete a 14-day mandatory quarantine period after landing in Australia.
Meanwhile, it has been a double-whammy of sorts for Verma, who is also set to feature in the inaugural The Hundred after the BCCI issued a No Objection Certificate to a number of players.