CHENNAI: Smriti Mandhana will become the first Indian player to appear in the Kia Super League, the women’s cricket super league in England.
Smriti was signed by Western Storm and will represent the side in the upcoming edition of the tournament that features six teams. The 21-year-old opener has appeared in 40 T20Is so far and has a highest score of 76.
Last month, she captained IPL Trailblazers in the Women’s T20 Challenge, which took place ahead of IPL Qualifier one. Smriti has also featured in the Big Bash League for Brisbane Heat.
After securing her signing, Western Storm’s head coach Trevor Griffin said: “We are really excited that Smriti will be joining us. She is one of the brightest young talents in the game at the moment. Although she is still young, she has a great deal of experience of the game at the highest level and we believe that she will prove to be an excellent signing.”
Looking forward to the new challenge, Smriti said, “I am very excited to be playing for the Kia Super League Champions. To be the first Indian player to appear in the tournament is a real honour and I hope that I can help Western Storm to more success.”