Women's IPL 2020: Top 5 Indian Players to watch out for in Women's T20 Challenge

Mumbai, Nov 2: The much-awaited Women's T20 Challenge 2020, which is also being dubbed as mini-Women's IPL, is set to witness top Indian women cricketers join forces with the biggest names from England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and New Zealand in the four-match tournament that will get underway in the UAE from November 4th-9th.

However, Australian women cricketers and some other big stars in women's cricket are unable to participate in the tournament due to the ongoing Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).

Women's IPL 2020: Schedule, Teams, Players List, TV Timings, Live Streaming Info

The tournament that will be aired live & exclusive on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar, will mark the beginning of the Indian women's cricket season following a Covid-19 induced break, with viewers and fans guaranteed for some electrifying action in Sharjah - host for all the matches.

Harmanpreet Kaur-led Supernovas, the defending champions, will lock horns with Velocity, led by the veteran Mithali Raj, in the three-team tournament opener.

The tournament has provided the right platform for budding talent from women's cricket to showcase their skills on the biggest stage of them all.

Supernovas' Jemimah Rodrigues, who won the 2019 'Player of the Series' title, is testament to the fact how the tournament enables youngsters to learn and interact with some of the best in the world.

Here are top 5 Indian players to watch out for:

Mithali Raj (Velocity)

India's greatest women cricketer Mithali Raj returns to the field as the captain of Velocity in the Women's T20 Challenge 2020. The 37-year-old legend last featured in a T20 international in March 2019. In her 89 T20 matches, Mithali has scored 2364 runs with an average of 37.52, and the highest score of 87 runs to go along with her exquisite resume. Considering this, she will be expected to lead from the front when Velocity walks out to face Supernovas in the tournament opener on November 4th.

Smriti Mandhana (Trailblazers)

The youngest captain of Women's T20 Challenge, Smriti Mandhana, will be itching to avenge her team showing from last year. The Trailblazers captain did not have a good start of the year as she underperformed at the Women's T20 World Cup 2020 with just 49 runs in 4 innings. The stylish left-handed batswoman will be expected to regain her lost form and improve her batting that will hold the Trailblazers in good stead in the tournament.

Harmanpreet Kaur (Supernovas)

Harmanpreet Kaur has been the most successful player in the tournament and this time, she returns eager to pocket her third title. The experienced all-rounder's career has been decorated with smashing records. She was the first woman to score a century in a women's T20I, and she was the first Indian player (male and female) to play 100 T20I matches. Though her performance at the Women's T20 World Cup was a bit underwhelming, the skipper is all set to change that and saunter onto the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with renewed energy and fervour.

Shafali Verma (Velocity)

Entering as one of the most exciting players of the tournament, Shafali Verma will be expected to do all the heavy lifting for Velocity. The 16-year-old superstar is the youngest women to play for India in T20Is. The opposition will be cautious about Shafali's form after she was declared the world No. 1 batswoman in the ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings released in March this year. Verma showcased her mettle at the Women's T20 World Cup 2020 as she emerged as the fifth-highest run-scorer of the tournament and the player with the highest number of six's. With such great potential, we could expect a similar showing in Sharjah.

Jemimah Rodrigues (Supernovas)

Jemi, as her team-mates usually call her, has turned out to be the most explosive player from the Indian Women's cricket team. The 20-year-old talented cricketer from Mumbai was named the player of the series and the player with the highest number of runs during the Women's T20 Challenge 2019. She grabbed attention at the Women's T20 World Cup 2020, scoring 85 runs in the tournament with a strike rate of 88.54. Jemimah will be an important cog in the wheel for Supernovas, who are eyeing a third consecutive title.