WCPL 2024: Trinbago Knight Riders Welcome Jemimah Rodrigues And Shikha Pandey

Star Indian cricketers Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey have been signed by the Trinbago Knight Riders for the upcoming Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) season. Australians Meg Lanning and Jess Jonassen are also among the international signings.

The franchise announced that these new additions bring significant depth, experience, and firepower to their squad. "These four new additions to the squad have added a lot of depth, experience and firepower to the TKR Women's setup," stated the franchise in a release.

The Trinbago Knight Riders Women, winners of the inaugural edition, have retained five Caribbean players. These include captain Deandra Dottin, wicketkeeper Kycia Knight, speedster Shamila Connell, and emerging talents Zaida James and Samara Ramnath.

Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Riders Group, expressed excitement about retaining core local players and signing four renowned overseas players. "We are very excited to be able to retain the core of our local Caribbean players and sign up four world-renowned overseas players for this year's Women's CPL," he said.

Mysore highlighted Deandra Dottin's leadership since their title victory in 2022. "Great to have Deandra Dottin captaining the team once again. She has been a fantastic leader of the side since the inaugural year," he added.

Indian Stars Join WCPL

Mysore also noted that Rodrigues and Pandey would enhance the team's line-up significantly. "Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey will add volumes to the quality of the tournament," he mentioned.

"The addition of these two big Indian names, along with superstars Meg Lanning and Jess Jonassen should excite cricket enthusiasts around the world," Mysore continued. He thanked BCCI for facilitating their participation in WCPL for the first time.

Rodrigues' Enthusiasm

Jemimah Rodrigues shared her excitement about joining WCPL for the first time. "This is the first time I'll be coming to the WCPL," she said. She also mentioned her past experiences playing in the Caribbean for India.

"I've played for India in the Caribbean quite a bit, but I'm really excited that I'll be representing the Knight Riders in WCPL," she added. Rodrigues believes this tournament will serve as excellent preparation for the Women's World T20 in October.

Upcoming Draft

The remaining six slots in their 15-member squad will be filled during the WCPL Draft later this month. This year's WCPL is scheduled from August 21-29.