The reigning Women’s Premier League (WPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have had to make multiple tweaks to their overseas players roster with injuries piling up and the veteran all-rounder Sophie Devine taking a break from the game. RCB had already signed up English all-rounder Charlie Dean as a replacement for Sophie Molineux and now called up the Australian duo of Heather Graham and Kim Garth.
While pace-bowling all-rounder Graham, who has been part of the Mumbai Indians in the past, will replace Devine, Garth will return to the WPL fold replacing England pacer Kate Cross, who didn’t place a single match in RCB’s title-winning campaign in 2024. “Kiwi all-rounder Sophie Devine is taking a break from cricket for her well-being, and English speedster Kate Cross will miss the season due to a back injury,” RCB confirmed the development in a statement on X (previously Twitter.)
Experienced Garth will add depth to the pace attack having had a fifer to her name in the inaugural edition of the WPL playing for the Gujarat Giants. With RCB sweating over Ellyse Perry’s fitness, Garth’s addition was timely with Renuka Singh Thakur being the only other experienced Indian option and now Heather Graham adding to the stocks further.
On the other hand, the UP Warriorz too had to make a last-minute change to their side as well with skipper Alyssa Healy being ruled out of the competition due to a stress injury in her right foot. Healy has had a dodgy return to competitive cricket since her injury during the T20 World Cup last year and mentioned that she would want to put her feet up for two months following the Ashes and sort the issue out once and for all.
The Warriorz signed West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry as Healy’s replacement at her base price of INR 30 Lakh. Henry had a great T20 World Cup in the UAE and would complement Tahlia McGrath in the all-rounder’s department.
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The Warriorz now will have to appoint a new captain as well. Since Deepti Sharma was Healy’s deputy, she would be the top contender for the job unless Jon Lewis and Co. opt to go in a different direction. The third edition of the WPL kicks off on February 14 in Vadodara with the Gujarat Giants taking on the defending champs RCB in the opener.
