Veda Krishnamurthy, who is known for her hard-hitting skills, will be seen playing for Hobart Hurricanes in the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) which is slated to commence from December 9.
Krishnamurthy will become the third overseas layer after England’s Lauren Winfield and West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and will be available until 15th January before joining the national camp.
The 25-year-old cricketer becomes the third Indian to play in this league after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. However, Smriti Mandhana, who Brisbane Heat in the previous edition of the tournament hasn’t renewed her contract till now. On the other hand, Harmanpreet Kaur, who had a wonderful stint in the Women’s World Cup earlier this year in England, will continue to represent her franchise, Sydney Thunders. It is learned that young all-rounder Deepti Sharma is also in talks with a number of franchises; however, she hasn’t signed a contract yet.
Veda admitted that she will miss the later stage of the tournament as she will be joining the preparatory camp for the South Africa series while confirming the news of her joining Hobart Hurricanes.
“The offer came about a month ago. I was pleasantly surprised because I wasn”t expecting it. Because our South Africa tour dates weren”t announced then. We were expecting it [the tour] to be in January, so there was some confusion if I”d be able to take up the offer,” Krishnamurthy said while talking to ESPNcricinfo.
“I spoke to Harman and Smriti about what to expect. It”s exciting to play in a brand new country, interact with new cultures. I think this is a direct result of ICC promoting the game well. With the World Cup being so well received, new avenues have opened up for cricketers from around the world. This deal is a direct recognition of India”s performance at the World Cup. To play in that environment with some of the world”s best will surely add a new dimension to my game,” she further added.
She also admitted that the team management wanted her for the full season but now they are okay with her playing the first 10 matches of the season.
Krishnamurthy was an important member of the World Cup squad in England and played some crucial knocks including a 45 balls-70 in a must-win game against New Zealand.
