Author: Priya Menon

Indian women’s cricketers continue to attract strong interest in franchise leagues worldwide as their influence in the game keeps growing. In The Hundred Women’s 2026, four members of the Indian national side have secured deals with different teams. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues were pre-signed by Manchester Super Giants and Southern Brave, respectively. Meanwhile, Deepti Sharma joined Sunrisers Leeds during the auction, and Richa Ghosh was also picked up by Manchester Super Giants at the same event. Their participation in overseas competitions highlights the increasing prominence of Indian players and their impact on franchise tournaments. Smriti Mandhana – Manchester Super…

New South Wales Breakers produced a composed all-round display to register a 62-run victory over South Australia Scorpions in the 41st match of the 2025/26 Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) season at Adelaide Oval. Steady contributions with the bat and a disciplined bowling effort, highlighted by Player of the Match Lauren Cheatle’s decisive spell, ensured a convincing result for the visitors. Adams and Mack steady NSW after early setbacks After being sent in to bat, NSW began cautiously with openers Tahlia Wilson and Katie Mack navigating the early overs. South Australia struck first when Wilson was trapped lbw by Courtney…

New Zealand continued their winning momentum with an emphatic 80-run victory over South Africa in the opening match of their Women’s T20I series in Mount Maunganui. Meeting for the first time since the 2024 World Cup final, the contest once again saw Amelia Kerr play a central role for the hosts, mirroring her match-winning influence from the title clash in Dubai two years earlier. Sophie Devine later underlined the dominance with the ball, producing career-best T20I figures of 4-12 in her two-decade-long international career. Kerr and Plimmer lay strong platform Fresh from sweeping Zimbabwe in their previous assignment, New Zealand’s…

New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine emerged as one of the standout names at the inaugural Women’s Hundred auction held on March 11, 2026, securing a joint-highest bid of £210,000 from Welsh Fire. Her price matched that of Australia wicketkeeper Beth Mooney, who was signed by Trent Rockets. With the sixth edition of the competition scheduled from July 21 to August 16, Devine reflected on the landmark moment, highlighting the rapid development of women’s cricket. She is also preparing to focus on New Zealand’s title defence at the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, set to take…

The 2025–26 CSA Women’s Pro20 Series concluded in dramatic fashion at Kingsmead in Durban, where Western Province Women successfully defended their title in a bowler-dominated contest. Chasing a modest target of 76, they overcame a late surge from the Lions’ attack to secure a four-wicket victory with eight deliveries remaining. Lions struggle to build momentum After being sent in to bat, the Lions were unable to establish any sustained partnerships against a disciplined Western Province bowling unit that made full use of the conditions. Tatum Le Roux played a decisive role with the ball, dismantling the middle order to finish…

Cricket Hong Kong’s U19 Women’s All Stars Series 2025–26 concluded with Jade Jets producing a commanding performance to complete a 3-0 sweep in the three-match T20 series against Bauhinia Stars. Led by Fatima Amir, the Jade Jets maintained an unbeaten record throughout the series. In the opening fixture, the captain set the tone with a composed run-a-ball 26 (26 balls). However, it was Megan Leung’s impactful all-round display — scoring 19 off 31 balls and returning figures of 3/12 — that proved decisive as the Jets successfully defended their total of 106 to register a convincing 19-run victory. Leung’s contributions…

Amid the high-profile setting of the inaugural Women’s Hundred auction held on March 11, 2026, at London’s Piccadilly, MI London head coach Lisa Keightley expressed satisfaction with her squad composition while drawing attention to the lack of female representation in leadership roles. Her team features prominent names such as Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, yet Keightley was struck by the broader gender imbalance at the event. She stood as the only female head coach among the eight participating franchises, a group that includes teams reshaped by IPL franchise investments, including Sunrisers Leeds, defending champions Manchester Super Giants, and…

The Women’s Hundred Auction held on March 11, 2026, has reshaped MI London — previously known as the title-winning Oval Invincibles — into a strong contender for the sixth edition of The Hundred, scheduled from July 21 to August 16, 2026. After finishing sixth last season with eight points from eight matches, registering two wins and six defeats under captain Lauren Winfield-Hill, the franchise adopted a renewed strategy at the inaugural auction. By combining retained pre-auction stars such as Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge with impactful new signings, MI London have assembled a balanced and competitive squad. The…

The auction of the 2026 edition of The Hundred showed the growing commercial value of Women’s cricket. Many world-class players from around the globe attracted interest, which led to intense bidding battles between the teams. The most expensive player in the auction was Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney, who were signed by the Welsh Fire and the Trent Rockets for £210,000, while Dani Gibson got a close second as she was signed by the Sunrisers Leeds for a £190,000 deal. All these signings highlight the significance of all-around abilities and experience in players who can deliver consistently in the tournament,…

London Spirit Women’s assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan believes a successful Women’s T20 World Cup campaign for England could significantly boost interest in the women’s Hundred competition. Having previously experienced the surge in attention around franchise cricket during his tenure as head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rangarajan witnessed the enthusiasm surrounding the Women’s Premier League that followed India’s triumph at the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Now working with London Spirit Women, he was involved as a strategist during the inaugural Hundred Auction held in London on Wednesday. Reflecting on the potential impact of the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup…