Veda Krishnamurthy is the latest Indian cricketer to play in Women's Big Bash League

Indian cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy has inked a contract with Hobart Hurricanes for the third edition of the Women’s Big Bash League, which will kickstart on December 9. The Hurricanes will also have the services of England’s Lauren Winfield and West Indies’ Hayley Mathews. Both the cricketers will be available till January 15 before returning to their national duties.

As of now, there are two Indians in the WBBL. Apart from Krishnamurthy, Harmanpreet Kaur had earlier joined Sydney Thunders. It has been reported by ESPNCricinfo that another Indian Deepti Sharma is currently under negotiation with multiple franchises while Smriti Mandhana, who played for Brisbane Heat last year, could miss out on playing this year’s league.

“The offer came about a month ago. I was pleasantly surprised because I wasn’t expecting it,” Krishnamurthy told ESPNcricinfo. “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.

“Initially, they wanted my availability for the full season. But now, they are okay with me missing the last stages to accommodate the South Africa tour in February. At the moment, I’ll be playing 10 games for Hobart Hurricanes.

Promoting the game

“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.”