Indian Stars Shine In WBBL 2024 Draft: Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues & Yastika Bhatia Among Top Picks

Indian star cricketers Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues were first-round picks in the WBBL draft for the 2024 season, with six Indian players in total selected in the first three rounds.

Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues were among the six Indian cricketers in the first round of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) overseas draft held in Melbourne on September 1.

Source : PTI

Star Indian cricketers Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues were selected in the first round of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) overseas draft held in Melbourne on September 1 ahead of the 2024 season. A total of six Indian players were picked in the first three rounds. Deepti Sharma, the fourth pick of the day, was chosen by Melbourne Stars, while Jemimah Rodrigues, the seventh pick, was drafted by Brisbane Heat. Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana had already been signed by Adelaide Strikers.

In the Women's Big Bash League, teams hold a domestic draft to select Australian players. The overseas draft is where the four WBBL teams selected five Indian players. This year, teams had the option to pre-sign one overseas player before the draft. Smriti Mandhana was the only Indian cricketer to be pre-signed by a WBBL franchise, with Adelaide Strikers securing her signature. 

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Shikha, Hemalatha, Yastika Among Other Key Indian Picks In WBBL Drafts

Pacer Shikha Pandey was the third Indian selected in the draft, joining Brisbane Heat in round two, meaning she will feature in her maiden WBBL. In the third round of the draft, Hemalatha Dayalan was selected by Perth Scorchers, while India's wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia was signed by Melbourne Stars. Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat did not make any picks in this round.

Full list of players who were picked in the draft:

Hobart Hurricanes: Danni Wyatt, Chloe Tryon, Lizelle Lee (retained)
Sydney Sixers: Sophie Ecclestone (retained), Amelia Kerr (pre-signed), Hollie Armitage
Melbourne Renegades: Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews (pre-signed), Alice Capsey
Melbourne Stars: Deepti Sharma, Marizanne Kapp (pre-signed), Yastika Bhatia
Sydney Thunder: Heather Knight (retained), Shabnim Ismail, Chamari Athapaththu (pre-signed), Georgia Adams
Adelaide Strikers: Laura Wolvaardt (retained), Smriti Mandhana (pre-signed), Orla Prendergast
Brisbane Heat: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey, Nadine de Klerk
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine (pre-signed), Amy Jones, D Hemalatha