Shafali Verma, who recently sealed the deal with “The Hundred” Birmingham franchise, might also turn up for a Sydney franchise in the Women’s Big bash League later in the year, Times Of India reported.
“She is in talks with the Sydney franchise to play in the women’s Big Bash,” the BCCI source told PTI.
Notably, there are two teams based out of Sydney in the league – Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder and the Indian opener could be joining one of these two sides.
Sydney Sixers are two-time champions and are captained by Aussie star Ellyse Perry. On the other hand, Rachael Haynes-led Sydney Thunder have also won the title twice and are the reigning champions in Australia.
It will be really exciting for the 17-year-old to be part of either of these two successful franchises and share the dressing room with some of the best players in the sport.
Shafali Verma Becomes The Fifth Indian Player To Feature In The Hundred
Talking about The Hundred, Shafali is overall the fifth Indian women star to join the 100-overs tournament after T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, batter Jemimah Rodrigues and all-rounder, Deepti Sharma.
Shafali, the swashbuckling opener, will ply her trade for Birmingham Phoenix under the leadership of veteran White Ferns all-rounder Sophie Devine.
The young Indian opening batter has so far played 22 T20I matches, scoring 617 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 148.3 with three half-centuries. She has smashed 73 fours and 29 sixes in the shortest format of the game.
If Shafali actually signs the contract to play in BBL, she could enter the elite list of Indian women cricketers like Veda Krishnamurty (Hobart Hurricanes), Smriti Mandhana (Hobart Hurricanes), Harmanpreet Kaur (Sydney Thunder), who have played in the league in past.