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Five Indian superstars will play in The Hundred.
Five Indian superstars will play in The Hundred.

Press release -

​The Hundred confirms signings of Indian superstars

Teams across The Hundred Women’s Competition have today confirmed a number of new overseas signings.

The new 100-ball competition, which starts with a standalone women’s fixture at the Kia Oval on July 21, will now feature five Indian superstars: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma.

Verma – the No.1 ranked T20 batter in the world – comes in as a replacement for Sophie Devine at Birmingham Phoenix. With the logistical difficulties thrown up by COVID-19, Devine has opted out of the competition in order to be in the best position to prepare for international cricket, particularly with the ICC Women's World Cup due to be held in her native New Zealand in February.

Kaur will play for Manchester Originals, and therefore star in the competition opener. Mandhana is set to form a devastating opening partnership with Danni Wyatt at Southern Brave, Deepti Sharma will join England captain Heather Knight at London Spirit and Jemimah Rodrigues will be in the purple of Northern Superchargers.

Beth Barrett-Wild, Head of The Hundred Women’s Competition, said: “It’s so good to finally be able to confirm the involvement of some of the superstars from the India team.

“They’re a hugely exciting group of players and they’ll bring a lot to the competition.

“I can’t wait for July 21, I can’t wait for the whole competition, and I can’t wait for fans to see these world-class players doing what they do best.”

Manchester Originals batter Harmanpreet Kaur said: “It’s very exciting that I’m going to get to play in the first ever game of The Hundred.

“It will be special to make history, especially with a women’s match at such a big ground. We’ve played in front of some large crowds in India and it’s always a great experience for the players.”

ENDS

The standalone women’s fixture is the first time this has happened for a major sporting event in the UK, with the ambition to elevate the women’s game and make cricket more gender-balanced.

Tickets are great value for money: £5 for under 16s, with adult tickets starting at £10, and under-fives going free. Aside from the first two games on July 21 and 22, tickets give you the chance to see a women’s and men’s game. Refund policies will be in place should matches be affected by Covid.

To get access to tickets or team merchandise visit thehundred.com. Early bird ticket prices will be available until 23.59 on June 23. 

The Hundred is a brand new sports competition launching this summer (21 July-21 Aug). It fuses blockbuster entertainment with world-class cricket, inviting everyone to fall in love with the game at its intense, electrifying and incredible best.

Combining a new short, fast format of cricket, with each game lasting less than three hours, and incredible entertainment beyond sport, The Hundred will make cricket more accessible to reach a broader audience. It’s simple: 100 balls per team, most runs wins, so every ball counts.

The Hundred will feature eight brand new teams from seven cities, with men’s and women’s competitions taking place side by side: Welsh Fire (Cardiff), Southern Brave (Southampton), Northern Superchargers (Leeds), London Spirit, Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Oval Invincibles (London), Manchester Originals and Birmingham Phoenix. Each team will feature some of the best international and domestic cricketers from around the world, including England Men’s & Women’s World Cup winners.

Games will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and BBC throughout the competition – so whether in ground or watching from home – you’ll be right amongst all the action.

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Contacts

Hen Cowen

Hen Cowen

Press contact Senior Communications Manager (they/them) +44 (0)7585 987 302