The Australian All-rounder Ellyse Perry has been taken by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) during the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) auction on Monday. For the inaugural edition of WPL, Perry was sold to RCB for a whopping Rs 1.7 crore. The all-rounder is a mainstay for the Australian team and is currently touring South Africa for the Women's T20 World Cup.
RCB have also roped in Indian women's team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine and Renuka Singh.
Ellyse Perry made a name for herself by representing Australia in both cricket and football at a young age. At just 16, she became the youngest Australian to play international cricket and the first to play in both the ICC and FIFA World Cups.
Perry made her One Day International debut in July 2007 against New Zealand. At the young age of 16 years and 8 months, she made played her debut game in Darwin on July 22, breaking records as the youngest cricketer to represent Australia.
Ellyse Perry made her Twenty20 International debut at the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Ground, facing England on February 1, 2008. In February of 2007-08, during the Women's Ashes match at Bradman Oval in Bowral, Perry made history as the youngest-ever Australian Test cricketer, debuting at the age of 17 years and 3 months.
Ellyse Perry Track In Women's Big Bash League
At the official launch of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) on July 10, 2015, Perry was announced as the first-ever player signing and captain of the Sydney Sixers. Despite losing the first six matches of the inaugural season, Perry moved up the batting order and formed a successful opening partnership with Alyssa Healy, leading the team to win the next nine matches. The winning streak ended with a loss to the Sydney Thunder in the final on January 24, 2016.
In the WBBL second season, the Sixers finished in the first place, but Perry suffered a hamstring injury that forced her to miss the playoffs.
In WBBL's third edition, Perry led the league in runs, scoring 552 with an average of 46.00. She hit the winning runs in the final against the Scorchers, securing the team's second consecutive title.
In WBBL's 4th season, Perry had another exceptional season, breaking records by leading the league in runs with 777 and an average of 86.33. She was named Player of the Tournament. In a thrilling semi-final against the Melbourne Renegades, Perry scored 54 not out, earning Player of the Match honours, and hit a six in the super-over to send the team to their fourth championship final. Despite her top-scoring effort in the final against the Brisbane Heat, the team fell short of a three-peat.
In WBBL's fifth season, the Sixers lost five straight games, partly due to Perry's shoulder injury. Despite missing several games, she still had a productive season, scoring 469 runs with an average of 93.80.