Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy will be captaining the Uttar Pradesh Franchise in the upcoming inaugural edition of the Women’s T20 League, the franchise announced on Wednesday. Healy was robbed for a winning bid of 70 lakhs in the players’ auction. The seasoned veteran has played 139 T20Is for Australia, scoring nearly 2500 runs. She is considered one of the best wicketkeepers in the women’s game, with 110 dismissals in WT20Is. Moreover, the 32-year-old has won the Women’s 20-20 World Cup five times and the Women’s ODI World Cup twice in her career.
“I am delighted to have the chance to captain the UP Franchise in the inaugural edition of the historic Women’s T20 League that will be played in Mumbai. The Women’s T20 League is a tournament we have all been keenly waiting on, and the UP Franchise have a fantastic squad waiting to making a splash once things get going. We have a good mix of experience and youth along with the ability, and look forward to putting on a show for our fans. We are here to win and be ruthless in our brand of cricket,” Healy said.
Capri Global Holdings Private Limited’s Managing Director, Rajesh Sharma, spoke on the occasion, saying, “Alyssa is a giant of the game and has an immense amount of experience at the highest level, and also has the winning habit which we want in our team. We hope that the UP Franchise can make significant strides in this important journey under the leadership of Alyssa Healy and go on to be a source of joy and inspiration for the women of UP. I wish the team all the best.”
Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris are the other Australians in the UP team
The UP Franchise has accumulated a great team with three Australians in it; Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris are the two besides Healy. They also boast the best allrounder in the game – Sophie Ecclestone. Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya are the marquee Indian names in the squad.
UP Squad: Alyssa Healy (Captain), Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Tahlia McGrath, Shabnim Ismail, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Parshavi Chopra, Shweta Sehrawat, S Yashasri, Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Devika Vaidya, Lauren Bell, Laxmi Yadav, Simran Shaikh.
