NEW DELHI: Star Indian batters Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh have emerged as the only two Indian players selected in the Hundred 2024 draft for the upcoming season, with Mandhana joining the Southern Brave and Ghosh being roped in by the Birmingham Phoenix for the Women's Hundred 2024.
The draft saw English cricketer Amy Jones securing the top pick as she joined the Birmingham Phoenix, following her failure to agree to a retention last month. Meanwhile, star Sri Lankan all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu was picked by the Invincibles.
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The decision by the England Cricket Board (ECB) to increase top salaries in the women's Hundred attracted numerous foreign cricketers to the tournament.
Notable signings included Beth Mooney by Manchester Originals, Meg Lanning by London Spirit, and Ash Gardner by the Trent Rockets, all securing contracts worth 50,000 euros.
1/10:Top 5 players with most runs in WPL 2024
Getty Images
2/10:Ellyse Perry
<p>Ellyse Perry played 9 matches, 9 innings, scoring 347 runs with an average of 69.40, at a strike rate of 125.72, including 41 fours and 7 sixes.</p>Getty Images
3/10:Meg Lanning
<p>Meg Lanning participated in 9 matches, 9 innings, accumulating 331 runs with an average of 36.78, striking at 123.05, featuring 47 fours and 4 sixes.</p>Getty Images
4/10:Shafali Verma
<p>Shafali Verma showcased her talent in 9 matches, 9 innings, scoring 309 runs with an average of 38.62, boasting a strike rate of 156.85, hitting 27 fours and 20 sixes.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Smriti Mandhana
<p>Smriti Mandhana played 10 matches, 10 innings, securing 300 runs with an average of 30.00, striking at 133.93, comprising 40 fours and 10 sixes.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Deepti Sharma
<p>Deepti Sharma featured in 8 matches, 8 innings, amassing 295 runs with an impressive average of 98.33, striking at 136.57, registering 34 fours and 8 sixes.</p>Getty Images
7/10:The mare of long races
<p>Ellyse Perry leads with 69.40, followed by Deepti Sharma (98.33), Shafali Verma (38.62), Meg Lanning (36.78), and Smriti Mandhana (30.00).</p>Getty Images
8/10:Verma goes harder
<p>Shafali Verma tops the list with 156.85, followed by Deepti Sharma (136.57), Ellyse Perry (125.72), Smriti Mandhana (133.93), and Meg Lanning (123.05).</p>Getty Images
9/10:Queen of Boundaries
<p>In terms of boundary hits, Meg Lanning leads with 47 fours, followed by Ellyse Perry (41), Smriti Mandhana (40), Deepti Sharma (34), and Shafali Verma (27).</p>Getty Images
10/10:Most Sixes
<p>Shafali Verma stands out with 20 sixes, followed by Smriti Mandhana (10), Deepti Sharma (8), Ellyse Perry (7), and Meg Lanning (4).</p>Getty ImagesIn the men's draft, the absence of star English batter Jason Roy was a notable development. Roy, released by the Oval Invincibles after a lackluster performance in the previous season, went unselected, along with English pacer Mark Wood, who withdrew due to injury concerns for the first three seasons of the Hundred.
However, West Indies star batters dominated the men's draft, with Nicholas Pooran joining Northern Superchargers, Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer signing up with London Spirit, and Kieron Pollard donning the Southern Brave's jersey. The Trent Rockets picked Rovman Powell for the upcoming season.
Star Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to play for the Welsh Fire, following his reacquisition last summer, while his teammate Naseem Shah was the top pick for the Birmingham Phoenix.
Following the conclusion of the draft, each team will have the opportunity to add two more players to both their men's and women's squads ahead of the season starting in July, offering 'wildcard' contracts based on performances in domestic T20 cricket, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
(With inputs from ANI)
