The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) recently announced squads for this year’s Women’s T20 Challenge (WT20C). Three teams, Supernovas, Trailblazers, and Velocity, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Deepti Sharma respectively, will partake in the tournament.
The fourth edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge will embark on May 23 and the whole tournament will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. The competition will feature four games in total; the finals will be played on May 28, at the same venue.
Discussing the notable native accumulations particularly, several cricketers from the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy and other inland events have captivated the choosers and have made it into the tournament. Ahead of the tournament, let us have a look at five players to watch out for in the Women’s T20 Challenge.
5 Players to watch out for in the Women’s T20 Challenge
1. Kiran Navgire (Velocity)
The Nagaland superstar Kiran Navgire from the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, stole the limelight with her superb knock of 162 off 76 deliveries against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. The Nagaland opener’s ton comprised 16 sixes and 10 boundaries.
Furthermore, Navgire being at her finest has scored 525 runs in 7 innings, at an average of 131.25. The 26-year-old has notched runs at a strike rate of 172.69 with mighty hundred and four half-centuries. She has hit 35 sixes and 54 boundaries across the tournament!
Besides, Navgire will be seen in purples playing under Deepti Sharma. While, it will be interesting to see how team Velocity, already with two world-class openers Shafali Verma and Laura Wolvaardt, play the woman in form.
2. Aarti Kedar (Velocity)
The highest wicket-taker from the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy Aarti Kedar will be representing Deepti Sharma-led Velocity. Kedar, playing for Maharashtra in the tournament, picked up 13 wickets in 8 innings at a reasonable economy of 4.78 and an excellent average of 10.30.
The left-arm spinner represented her senior state team for the very first time for the 2021-22 season. Besides, team Velocity with senior spinners like Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana and Radha Yadav in the team, there’ll be so much to learn for Kedar.
3. Sujata Mallik (Trailblazers)
The right-arm medium bowler Sujata Mallik led the pace unit of Odisha in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy this season. Mallik took 11 wickets in 7 innings with a four-wicket haul, at an economy of 5.65 and an average of 11.81.
For the 28-year-old, creating more options and being a pacer adds a lot. Mallik will be representing Smriti Mandhana-led Trailblazers. With practiced pacers like Arundhati Reddy and Renuka Singh in the squad, Mallik could be a decent third-pacing option for skipper Mandhana.
4. Priyanka Priyadarshini (Trailblazers)
The joint-highest wicket-taker for Odisha Priyanka Priyadarshini has picked up 11 wickets in seven innings, in this year’s Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. Priyadarshini has dismissed batters at an economy of 4.88 and an average of 12.00. The right-arm off-spinner also triumphed a four-wicket haul in one of her games.
Priyadarshini is set to represent Smriti Mandhana-led Trailblazers. The Odisha talent will train alongside excellent spinners in the circuit including Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Salma Khatun, and part-time international spinners Sophia Dunkley and Hayley Matthews.
5. Shivali Shinde (Velocity)
The wicket-keeper batter has scored 211 runs in 8 of her innings in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, this year. The Maharashtra batter had a strike rate of 100.95 and has notched runs at an average of 26.38 and signifies herself as an excellent wicket-keeper batter option.
Shivali Shinde will be representing Deepti Sharma-led Velocity for the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge. She will hope to make the most of the opportunity and make a case for herself at the biggest stage.
Written by Prachi Pisal
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