Deepti Sharma and Rashid Khan Final Nominees for WBBL and BBL Overseas Drafts

Deepti Sharma and Rashid Khan Nominated for WBBL and BBL Overseas Drafts

Prominent Indian off-spin all-rounder, Deepti Sharma, and Afghanistan’s leading leg-spinner, Rashid Khan, have been selected as the final nominees for the WBBL and BBL overseas drafts. The drafts are set to take place on September 3.

Deepti, who previously played for UP Warriorz in the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL), has now joined the esteemed list of nominees for the first-ever WBBL overseas draft. The draft has garnered attention from 122 players representing 19 countries. Although Deepti was part of the Sydney Thunder team in the 2021-22 WBBL season, she is not eligible for retention this time.

Among other Indian players in the WBBL draft are Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Hurley Gala, Richa Ghosh, Mannat Kashyap, Amanjot Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Shreyanka Patil, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meghana Sabbineni, Deepti Sharma, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, and Radha Yadav.

Harmanpreet and Jemimah have the chance to be retained by their respective clubs, Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars. Meanwhile, Rashid Khan, who was chosen as a Platinum pick by the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL12 Draft, has put his name forward once again this year. Rashid, with an impressive record of 556 T20 wickets, is among the 376 cricketers with nominations for the draft.

The players selected for the Platinum category in each draft will be unveiled on August 30. Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, expressed enthusiasm about the high response to this year’s WBBL and BBL Drafts. The strong interest and quality of nominations reflect the allure of the Big Bash League for players globally and underscore the league’s reputation for showcasing top-notch talent and delivering exceptional entertainment.

This season’s increase in Big Bash player payments underscores the league’s commitment to offering competitive compensation to international players, making it one of the most attractive leagues globally.

The drafts will feature four rounds, allowing clubs to select a minimum of two and a maximum of three players, with at least one pass in each round. Each BBL squad will consist of 18 players, including two or three overseas players from the draft. Each WBBL squad will comprise 15 players, featuring at least two overseas players from the draft, with the possibility of adding a third overseas player through direct nomination or the draft.

Players can be selected in four categories during the draft: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Competitive salaries have been assigned to each category, with Platinum offering the highest player payment.

In the WBBL Overseas Player Draft, players can choose to be directly contracted by a WBBL Team only after the Draft. If a player opts for direct nomination, they cannot be selected by a team during the draft. In such cases, the player’s retainer cannot exceed 95% of the amount paid to a Silver Overseas Player by a WBBL Team.

Several players have submitted direct nominations for the WBBL Overseas Player Draft, including Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Tammy Beaumont (England), Sophia Dunkley (England), Mignon du Preez (South Africa), Lizelle Lee (South Africa), and Amy Jones (England).

Players in both the WBBL and BBL Overseas Player Drafts are eligible for retention under specific criteria, including previous team squad participation, exceptional circumstances, and approval from the Big Bash Technical Committee.