Rodrigues, Ghosh among India stars in WBBL draft

Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh headline an exciting list of 12 India players who are the latest to throw their hats in the ring for the inaugural Weber WBBL draft.

The cohort join captain Harmanpreet Kaur and allrounder Pooja Vastrakar, whose names had already been confirmed for the September 3 draft.

Rodrigues is the only one of the 12 eligible for a retention pick, having filled a key role in the Melbourne Stars’ top-order last summer.

Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, who played for the Sydney Sixers in WBBL|07, has nominated for a return alongside wicketkeeper and powerful middle-order batter Ghosh, who spent the same season with the Hobart Hurricanes.

Veda Krishnamurthy is another who could return to the league, having last played for the Hurricanes in WBBL|03.

Quicks Renuka Thakur, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh and Hurley Gala have also nominated and would make their WBBL debuts if selected, as would spinners Sneh Rana and Shreyanka Patil and batters Yastika Bhatia and Harleen Deol.

The overseas draft, to be held on September 3 in a televised event in conjunction with the second KFC BBL draft, looks set to shake up the spread of overseas talent in the league, with each club only able to use one retention pick.

In the previous eight seasons of the Weber WBBL, clubs would negotiate directly with international players and their agents.

Now, all overseas players who want to feature in the tournament must nominate for the draft, with clubs set to take turns selecting the players they want in their squad for WBBL|09.

Sydney Thunder secured pick No.1 for the draft via a weighted lottery system, with the Melbourne Renegades and Scorchers drawn for picks two and three respectively.

Foreign players have nominated for the draft across three tiers; gold (attracting a salary of $90,000), silver ($65,000) or bronze ($40,000) tiers.

Ahead of the draft, league officials will elevate select players who they determine are the most enticing draft prospects to a platinum tier ($110,000).

Confirmed WBBL|09 Draft nominees

England: Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Katie Levick, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

India: Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Hurley Gala, Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Shreyanka Patil, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav

New Zealand: Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr

South Africa: Suné Luus, Shabnim Ismail

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu

West Indies: Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack

Pakistan: Fatima Sana