Richa Ghosh joins Hobart Hurricanes, becomes 5th Indian to play at WBBL 2021

India's Richa Ghosh will play for Hobart Hurricanes ahead of the upcoming Women's Big Bash League 2021 (WBBL 2021). She is now the fifth Indian to play at WBBL this year. She joins cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, who have been signed by defending champions Sydney Thunder, and Shafali Verma and Radha Yadav who confirmed their WBBL spot with Sydney Sixers. Ghosh, who is only 17, has had a brilliant series in India's tour of Australia has played some wonderful innings.

Even though India lost the first two games she was one of the few who put up a decent score. In the first ODI she scored 32 off 29 and in the second, which India lost on the last ball, she managed 44 off 50 to help India to a good total of 274. The last match which India won did not go to plan for the 17-year-old as she was bowled out on a duck but she should not lose heart so easily. She is still very young and did so very well against one of the toughest teams out there. To play in the WBBL might just be the perfect experience and exposure that she needs to take her game to the next level.

Mandhana and Deepti join Sydney Thunder

The Indian duo of Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma replaces England's Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont, who had pulled out of the team for the scheduled England tour of Pakistan, which now stands cancelled. In an official statement of the team, coach Trevor Griffin said that Sydney Thunder’s title defence had received an 'extra edge' with Indian superstars. The coach dubbed Mandhana as 'world class' saying that she had tremendous ability to take everything in her stride. 

"She’s world-class," said Griffin, of the player named the 2018 ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year. “Smriti is an opening batter who has the tremendous ability to take everything in her stride. I like that she keeps her game really simple; she just wants to score runs. I’m delighted to have her on board, and I have no doubt that she’ll prove to be a great addition to Thunder," he said in an official statement. 

(Image: @BCCIWomen/Twitter)