Shafali Verma
Indian teenage batting sensation Shafali Verma and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav will make their Women’s Big Bash League debuts along with two-time champion Sydney Sixers, it was officially confirmed on Monday.
The signing of the duo by the Sixers was reported by PTI on May 13 and this has been confirmed by the organizers ahead of the seventh edition of the league starting next month.
A message posted from the league’s official Twitter handle read, “So Sydney Derby should be fun this year! @SixersBBL has signed Indian talents Shafali Verma & Radha Yadav.”
The Sixers began their WBBL campaign on October 14 against the Melbourne Stars at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.
The 17-year-old Shafali, who became India’s youngest woman to make her international debut in 2019, is widely regarded as the best batting talent in the world and currently tops the ICC Women’s T20I player rankings.
On Sunday, he scored his maiden ODI half-century with a mature knock of 56 runs as India troubled the hosts Australia, breaking the hosts’ 26-game winning streak.
“It’s a great opportunity for me and my goal is just to enjoy myself, make some new friends and have fun,” Shafali was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“I want to play WBBL and back myself and just believe in myself.”
Shafali is expected to form a deadly combination for the Sixers along with Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner, making the team the most exciting top four in WBBL history.
In June, the right-hander became the youngest player to represent India in all three formats of international cricket, before debuting for Birmingham Phoenix in ‘The Hundred’ under Sixers head coach Ben Sawyer.
“Shafali is so impressive. She’s such a talent and she’s fearless. She hits different areas of the field and plays a different shot than the other three girls in that top four,” Sawyer said.
“My experience with her in Birmingham was that she wants to learn, she wants to get better and she wants to grow as a player and a person,” she said.
Not under the supervision of his teenage teammate, left-arm orthodox spinner Radha, the Sixers resume their own rumblings and sit 11th in the T20I player rankings.
The 21-year-old was one of the discoveries of the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20, ending as the joint leading wicket-taker for India in the tournament, with eight dismissals in five matches.
Radha said that she was looking forward to making her WBBL debut alongside Shafali, noting that the tournament was very aspirational as she rose through the ranks in India.
“Many young Indian girls want to play in the WBBL. It’s a very good standard and I’m very happy to be able to play for the Sixers this year,” Radha said.
Sawyer was equally excited to welcome Radha to the Sixers.
“Radha brings a skill set that we never had in the Sixers and it is very exciting. A left-arm ortho bowler is very important in WBBL and being a world class player is such a huge opportunity for this team.
“She has also batted in the middle order for India so she is working with the bat as well,” he added.
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