Harmanpreet Kaur extends stay at Sydney Thunder ahead of WBBL 4; Smriti Mandhana signs up with Hobart Hurricanes

New Delhi: India’s T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has extended her association with Sydney Thunder while Smriti Mandhana has been signed up by Hobart Hurricanes for the fourth season of Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). Harmanpreet was the top scorer for Thunder in the second season when she amassed 296 runs in 12 innings with a strike rate of 117 and an average of 59.20. Not surprisingly then, she was adjudged Thunder’s Player of the Tournament. [caption id=“attachment_5623331” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Harmanpreet Kaur. Image credit: Twitter/@ThunderWBBL[/caption] Mandhana, the vice-captain of India’s T20 side has been signed by Hurricanes. The attacking opening batter previously appeared for Brisbane Heat in the WBBL 02 season. Having posted her maiden international hundred in an ODI against Australia at Blundstone Arena in 2016 in Tasmania, Smriti said she is looking forward to showcasing her talent for the new team. “I’ve heard from many players that the Hurricanes group is a great squad to be around and I can’t wait to get to Tasmania for the matches,” she said. Hurricanes’ coach Salliann Briggs said he was delighted with her squad’s final signing. “Mandhana is a proven performer on the world stage, we saw that just last week with her knock against the Aussies,” she said. “I can’t wait to see her in purple, she’s an exciting addition not only for us but for the whole competition.” Harmanpreet, the first India player to be signed up by a WBBL team, had proved a useful all-rounder for Sydney Thunder.