Shikha Pandey signs up to play for Canterbury Magicians in Super Smash

Canterbury Magicians have acquired the services of the experienced Indian speedster Shikha Pandey ahead of the upcoming Women’s Super Smash. On Thursday, December 26, Canterbury released a statement where they confirmed the signing of the 35-year-old.

Shikha has played three Tests, 55 ODIs, and 62 T20Is for India. She played her last international encounter on February 23, 2023, which was the semi-final clash between India and Australia in the Women's T20 World Cup.

“Indian cricketer, Shikha Pandey is SIGNED with our Canterbury Magicians for our 2024/25 Super Smash campaign! We are super excited to see her in action over the next while; this is something you won’t want to miss out on seeing!” Canterbury wrote.

The Ramagundam-born also expressed her excitement and wrote, “Massively excited”. The Magicians are scheduled to begin their campaign on Friday, December 27 against Otago Sparks at the Molyneux Park in Alexandra.

Shikha Pandey's performance in WBBL 2024

Shikha played a key role for Brisbane Heat in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) 2024 which concluded earlier this month. The Jess Jonassen-led side reached the finals where they lost to Melbourne Renegades by seven runs in a rain-curtailed affair.

During the tournament, Shikha featured in all the games for Brisbane. In 12 matches, the right-arm pacer picked up 12 wickets at an average of 24.17.

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Earlier this year, Pandey also represented Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL). Jemimah Rodrigues was also a part of the team while Jhulan Goswami was the mentor of TKR.

Shikha has picked up 122 wickets in her international career. This includes two four-wicket hauls and best figures of 4/18 in an ODI. She is also a handy batter down the order, having two half-centuries to her name in ODI cricket.