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Australian pacer Megan Schutt expressed her delight after the defending champion Adelaide Strikers roped in Smriti Mandhana for the next season of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). The franchise roped her in as a pre-signing before Sunday's draft.
Mandhana is not new in the WBBL, having previously plied trade for the Hobart Hurricanes, Brisbane Heat, and Sydney Thunder. However, she opted out of the tournament in the last two seasons, citing various reasons.
Mandhana will be a wonderful addition to the Strikers' squad, and Schutt acknowledged that by saying (via cricket.com.au):
"Countless hours hounding her has helped. I did see her over at The Brave in The Hundred (this month) and really rekindled that friendship."
"I played with her at RCB, Tahlia's played with her a bunch, and she loves Luke's coaching style. She's committed, which is great ... and having a leftie up top is going to be huge for us," she added.
Smriti Mandhana will reunite with Luke Williams with whom she worked at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2024 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL). The duo forged an excellent pair and guided the franchise to the WPL title this year.
"She's a complete package for us" - Megan Schutt continues to praise Smriti Mandhana
Megan Schutt, who has represented Australia in 91 ODIs and 110 T20Is, praised Mandhana's ability to find gaps and reckoned that her experience will come in handy in Australian conditions.
"Her flair, the areas and pockets she hits to in the ground, I think she plays really well in Australian conditions, her knowledge of the game, she's one of the leaders in India. She's a complete package for us," Schutt added.
Smriti Mandhana has featured in 38 WBBL matches, scoring 784 runs at an average of 24.15 and a strike rate of over 130. Her highest score in the tournament remains the unbeaten 114 off 64 balls against the Melbourne Renegades in 2021.
