WBBL 10 Draft: The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 10 draft on September 1st has set the stage for an exhilarating new season of women’s cricket in Australia. With the 10th edition of the WBBL scheduled to showcase thrilling cricket action, teams have strategically assembled their squads to compete in the upcoming tournament.

Here’s a detailed overview of the draft results, including retained players, standout picks, and full team rosters:

WBBL 10 Draft – Notable Retentions

Sydney Sixers: Sophie Ecclestone, Amelia Kerr Sydney Thunder: Heather Knight Adelaide Strikers: Laura Wolvaardt

Platinum Signings

Hobart Hurricanes: Danni Wyatt, Chloe Tryon, Lizelle Lee Melbourne Renegades: Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Alice Capsey Melbourne Stars: Deepti Sharma, Marizanne Kapp, Yastika Bhatia Brisbane Heat: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey, Nadine De Klerk Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Amy Jones, Hemalatha Dayalan Sydney Sixers: Amelia Kerr (Pre-Signed) Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu (Pre-Signed) Adelaide Strikers: Smriti Mandhana (Pre-Signed)

WBBL 10 Draft – Notable Passes

Adelaide Strikers: 1 pass Brisbane Heat: 1 pass Hobart Hurricanes: 1 pass Melbourne Stars: 1 pass Melbourne Renegades: 1 pass Perth Scorchers: 1 pass Sydney Sixers: 1 pass

WBBL 2024 Draft Highlights: Top Picks for Each Team

Hobart Hurricanes

• Danni Wyatt (England)
• Chloe Tryon (South Africa)
• Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

Sydney Sixers

• Sophie Ecclestone (England)
• Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
• Hollie Armitage (England)

Melbourne Renegades

• Deandra Dottin (West Indies)
• Hayley Matthews (Barbados)
• Alice Capsey (England)

Melbourne Stars

• Deepti Sharma (India)
• Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)
• Yastika Bhatia (India)

Sydney Thunder

• Heather Knight (England)
• Shabnim Ismail (South Africa)
• Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
• Georgia Adams (England)

Adelaide Strikers

• Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
• Smriti Mandhana (India)
• Orla Prendergast (Ireland)

Brisbane Heat

• Jemimah Rodrigues (India)
• Shikha Pandey (India)
• Nadine de Klerk (South Africa)

Perth Scorchers

• Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
• Amy Jones (England)
• Hemalatha Dayalan (India)

Full Squads for WBBL 2024

Adelaide Strikers: Jemma Barsby, Darcie Brown, Eleanor Larosa, Katie Mack, Smriti Mandhana (India), Anesu Mushangwe, Tahlia McGrath (c), Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Orla Prendergast (Ireland)

Brisbane Heat: Bonnie Berry, Nadine de Klerk (South Africa), Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Ellie Johnston, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Mikayla Wrigley, Jemimah Rodrigues (India), Shikha Pandey (India), Nadine de Klerk (South Africa)

Hobart Hurricanes: Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee (South Africa), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Elyse Villani, Danni Wyatt (England), Chloe Tryon (South Africa)

Melbourne Renegades: Sarah Coyte, Emma de Broughe, Josie Dooley, Nicole Faltum, Ella Hayward, Milly Illingworth, Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Sophie Molineux, Georgia Prestwidge, Naomi Stalenberg, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

Melbourne Stars: Sophie Day, Kim Garth, Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Meg Lanning, Sophie Reid, Annabel Sutherland, Deepti Sharma (India), Yastika Bhatia (India)

Perth Scorchers: Chloe Ainsworth, Stella Campbell, Piepa Cleary, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Alana King, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Chloe Piparo, Amy Jones (England), Hemalatha Dayalan (India)

Sydney Sixers: Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Kate Pelle, Ellyse Perry, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Sophie Ecclestone (England), Hollie Armitage (England)

Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Sam Bates, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Saskia Horley, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson, Heather Knight (England), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Georgia Adams (England)

ALSO READ: BBL Draft 2024-25: Draft Highlights, Final Squads, And Top Picks

In this article, we will examine the highly rated overseas players in The Hundred League Women.

The Hundred League just ended on August 18, in which Oval Invincibles from the Men’s League won the title and London Spirits from the Women’s League. The league was a total roller coaster ride, and many entertaining moments were created during the span of this tournament. 

Along with the native players, there were some overseas superstars as well who added spice to the tournament and made it enticing for the audience. 

Let’s have a look at those enticing overseas players of the tournament.

Georgia Redmayne

The Australian wicketkeeper batter managed to make 229 runs in the Hundred League. She was the 3rd highest scorer of the tournament with an average of 28.62, played for the London Spirits, and was the player of the match in the finals of the league against Welsh Fire. She made 34 out of 32 balls and helped the team chase 116 runs to win the match and title of the tournament. 

Deepti Sharma 

An Indian all-rounder who played for the London Spirits managed to be the 7th highest run scorer with 212 runs in total out of 6 innings, where she had the outstanding stat of not being out of the fast-paced format where players start hitting and taking risks from the first ball they face. She gave so many absolute wonder performances, which include 16 runs not out in the finals, where she played sensibly to chase out a fairly subtle target of 116 in the finals of the Hundred League against Welsh Fire. 

Laura Wolvaardt 

The South African opening batter who played for Manchester Originals in the Hundred League and ended the tournament being the 6th highest scorer of the tournament. She managed to make 215 runs in 7 innings, which included one half century and the 2nd highest individual score of the tournament (78*). 

Also Read – The Hundred: IPL Players Who’d Become Superstars

Jess Jonassen 

The left-arm orthodox bowler from Australia ended up being in the 3rd position for taking most wickets in the Hundred League. She was a part of Welsh Fire and managed to pick up 12 wickets with an impressive economy of 6.62 in such a fast-paced format. Unfortunately, she was not able to take any wickets in the finals of the tournament against the London Spirits but stopped the flow of runs for the opposition by giving only 16 runs in 18 balls. 

Inspiring Journeys of Indian Women Cricketers: Cricket is a sport that has always been dominated by men. However, the interest of the fans is slowly shifting for good. With the increased interest of cricket lovers and media interest, women’s cricket has seen significant growth and has reached new heights in the world of sports.

Tournaments like the ICC Women’s World Cup and Women’s T20 World Cup have played an instrumental role in the game’s transformation. These tournaments not only provide a chance to showcase the player’s skills but also help the game grow by attracting huge audiences around the globe.

Apart from this, top-professional cash-rich leagues including the Women’s Premier League (WPL), The Hundred, and the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), have given a platform to the young talents to earn recognition and fame.

Meanwhile, here, in this article, we bring you a few Indian women cricketers, who went through a lot of hardships to become the legends of this game.

Inspiring Journeys of Indian Women Cricketers. Have a look:

1. Mithali Raj

From a modest background in Jodhpur to becoming one of the most loved cricketers in the Indian women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj’s story is one of defying gender norms.

The former Indian captain, Mithali was introduced to cricket by her father, who supported her throughout her career, despite facing several financial challenges on the way. Her story kickstarted on the streets of her neighborhood where she used to play with the boys of her area. With constant support from her family and friends, she eventually entered the international cricket arena.

Her record-breaking career includes becoming the highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs and captaining India to multiple World Cup finals.

2. Jhulan Goswami:

Jhulan Goswami, who is fondly called ‘Chakdaha Express’ by her fans for her sensational bowling skills, faced a lot of hurdles on her way to becoming a legend of this game. Today, Jhulan is hailed as one of the most talented bowlers to have played for the Indian cricket team, however, it wasn’t an easy ride for her.

Jhulan had to overcome several financial challenges to give wings to her dreams of becoming a premiere bowler for the Indian cricket team. Coming from a small village in West Bengal, Jhulan used to travel long distances for her training. She also faced pressure from her society and relatives to pursue a more feminine career. However, with her dedication and unwavering love for bowling, Jhulan made the way for herself and became one of the biggest names in cricket.

Chakda ‘Xpress, which is a movie based on the life of Jhulan Goswami, is all set to be released this year. The movie features Anushka Sharma in the lead role.

3. Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana, who is hailed as the ‘Queen of Cricket World’ has made her space in the hearts of every cricket lover around the world. All thanks to her sensational performances and aggressive batting prowess, Smriti has become one of the most dynamic opening batters.

Hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra, Smriti displayed her cricketing prowess from a very young age. Despite facing financial problems since childhood, her family supported her through thick and thin, backing her to work on her passion.

4. Harmanpreet Kaur:

Harmanpreet Kaur is known for her powerful batting and leadership qualities, notably leading the Indian women cricketers to the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2017.

Harmanpreet’s journey to stardom wasn’t all smooth sailing. From getting rejected for the job of Punjab Police to facing financial difficulties because of being unemployed, Harmanpreet faced many hurdles.

After facing a lot of problems and gender discrimination, Kaur eventually found work with the Indian Railways. These challenges seem to have only strengthened the spirits of Kaur, who went on to become one of the most loved stars of the game.

5. Poonam Yadav

India’s premier leg-spinner, Poonam Yadav hails from Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Poonam faced a lot of financial troubles. She used to practice with a borrowed kit. She worked on her leg-spin bowling skills. Her hard work eventually paid off and she became a match-winning bowler for the Indian cricket team. She is now known globally for her sensational googlies and flighted deliveries.

6. Shikha Pandey:

Shikha Pandey’s journey to becoming India’s leading fast bowler is a testament to perseverance, sheer dedication, and commitment. Hailing from Karimnagar in Telangana, Shikha balanced her education with her love for cricket and emerged as a key player for India’s bowling bowling attack in both ODIs and T20Is.

7. Deepti Sharma:

The talented all-rounder from Agra in Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a promising cricketer. Her passion for cricket was initially not taken back. However, she convinced her family to follow their dreams.

She faced a lot of criticism from the people around her, but she learned the art of tuning the negativity out and focusing on her dreams. Deepti’s impressive batting performances and off-spin bowling skills made her a valuable asset to the Indian team.