Four Indian women players granted NOC by BCCI to play in UK’s ‘The Hundred’

New Delhi: The BCCI has granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to four Indian women cricketers, including T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur, to play in the inaugural ‘Hundred’ tournament in the UK starting on July 21.

Opener Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma are among the four bound for the 100-ball tournament. The name of the fourth player is not yet known.

”Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Deepti and another player have got the clearance as the BCCI has granted the NOC for them,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

It is learned that these four Indian players will extend their stay in the UK following the completion of India’s multi-format tour of England in June-July.

The tour begins with a one-off Test at Bristol on June 16 and concludes with the third and final T20I on July 15.

A three-match ODI series is slotted in between.

The Indian team for the tour is yet to be announced while a new head coach is expected to be named soon by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee.

The selected players will report on May 27, though it is not known how they will travel to the UK as flights from India have been suspended by the British government in the wake of an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases.

”The players will be asked to report on May 27 for the tour,” the source said.

Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues took part in the now-defunct Kia Super League (KSL) in 2019, the ECB’s domestic T20 tournament that made way for the Women’s Hundred.

The Hundred, which was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will kick off with the women’s match between the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals in London before their respective men’s sides meet the following day.

With no player draft for the women, teams are selected by their respective head coaches.