Star India opener Smriti Mandhana has re-joined Western Storm for the 2019 season of the Kia Super League (KSL), the franchise announced.
“Western Storm are delighted to be able to announce that Smriti Mandhana will be returning for the 2019 KIA Super League,” Western Storm said in a statement shared through its official Twitter handle.
The 22-year-old Mandhana played a key role for the side in the last edition of KSL.
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“She made a huge impact for Western Storm last year and played a major role in the team making it to finals for the third consecutive season,” the statement said.
Ranked number one in the world, Mandhana was the leading run scorer at KSL last year with 421 runs at an average of 60.14, including a century.
The southpaw has played 50 ODIs and 56 T20Is and expressed her excitement to be part of the league again.
“I enjoyed my time with Western Storm last year and I’m looking forward to coming back in 2019. We played some outstanding cricket last year and hopefully we can go a little further this season and lift the trophy,” Mandhana said in a statement.
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Trevor Griffin, head coach of Western Storm welcomed the news. “Everyone knows what Smriti is capable of and she was absolutely sensational for us last year’” he said. He also believes her presence will help the younger plays representing the side.
"She was exceptional off the field as well. Her team ethic and the way in which she goes about her training will no doubt inspire some of our younger players, who will certainly learn from someone like her," he added.
Mandhana’s teammates Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma will also feature in the fourth edition of the KSL, which is set to commence on August 6.
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