WBBL

Smriti Mandhana signs with Hobart Hurricanes for WBBL 2018-19

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

Mandhana has previously played in the WBBL for Brisbane Heat. © Getty

India's T20I vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has been snapped up by Hobart Hurricanes for the fourth edition of the Women's Big Bash League. Harmanpreet Kaur, who signed a two-year deal with Sydney Thunder ahead of the 2017 edition, will also be returning for her third successive season in the league.

Mandhana, the third-best scorer in T20Is in 2018, is set to be united with her Western Storm captain Heather Knight, who also plays for Hurricanes in the Australian league. Mandhana had a stellar season with Storm at the Women's Cricket Super League in England earlier this year, finishing as the tournament's top run-getter with a tally of 421 runs in nine innings, which is the highest across all editions of WCSL as well as WBBL.

The left-handed opener scored her runs at a phenomenal strike-rate of 174.69 and also slammed 21 sixes in the season - both all-time records in women's league cricket - and went on to bag the Player of the Tournament award. Incidentally, she replaces India's middle-order star Veda Krishnamurthy, who made her debut for the franchise in the 2017-18 season.

Mandhana had previously appeared for Brisbane Heat in the second season of WBBL which ended with an ACL injury just ahead of ICC Women's World Cup 2017.

"I'm really excited to have another opportunity in the WBBL this summer," she said. "I've heard from many players that the Hurricanes group is a great squad to be around and I can't wait to get to Tasmania for the matches."

Hurricanes' new coach Salliann Briggs said she was delighted to have Mandhana on board. "Mandhana is a proven performer on the world stage, we saw that just last week with her knock against the Aussies," she said. "I can't wait to see her in purple, she's an exciting addition not only for us but for the whole competition."

While Hurricanes kick start their season with an away game against Perth Scorchers on December 1, Mandhana will play her first game for the team on December 8 - a home fixture against Melbourne Stars.

Harmanpreet, India's T20I captain and the country's leading run-scorer in the format in 2018, was Thunder's Player of the Season in her first season. She amassed 296 runs in 12 innings at a strike-rate of 117 and an average of 59.20, earning a chance to extend her association with the team. Harmanpreet recently scored her maiden T20I hundred, against New Zealand, at the just-concluded Women's World T20 in the Caribbean.

Thunder begin their 2018-19 season with an away game to Melbourne Renegades.

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