Mumbai: Four Indian women cricketers — Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma — have been granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) by the Indian cricket board to participate in the inaugural Hundred, an eight-team tournament scheduled to start in England on July 21.
The four were part of the Indian contingent competing in the now-defunct Kia Super League (KSL), the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (EB) domestic T20 competition that made way for the Women’s Hundred.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sent the NOCs to the ECB and the official announcement regarding the four contracted players comprising the Indian contingent is likely to be made by the teams soon, according to espncricinfo.com.
The four cricketers, who are accompanying the India team on the tour of England to play a one-off Test, three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is, will extend their stay in the UK following the completion of their national duty on July 15 and then compete in the Hundred.
The Hundred organisers have made 20 of the 24 overseas signings, with Southern Brave, London Spirit, Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers still to fill one vacant slot apiece.
The Hundred, which was postponed last year due to Covid-19, will kick off with the contest between the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals in London, before their respective men’s sides meet the following day.
Some of the big overseas players in the tournament include Sophie Devine (Birmingham Phoenix), Deandra Dottin (London Spirit), Marizanne Kapp (Oval Invincibles), and Meg Lanning (Welsh Fire).