Sydney Thunder opening batter Smriti Mandhana believes the participation of Indian players in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will definitely count for something once they are back playing for India. In the ongoing WBBL season, there are eight Indian players who are taking part — Shafali Verma, Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma. “This year we had a window and we were already here and had done our 14 days quarantine. It’s better to stay and play some more cricket rather than go back,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Mandhana as saying.

“We have a World Cup coming up and we don’t have a BBL in our country, so it will be of benefit and a lot of experience for the eight girls in the comp and that experience will definitely count when we are back playing for India,” she added.

Before the WBBL, the Indian players were in Australia to take part in the multi-format series, where the Indian side ended up losing, but not after showing a fighting spirit in all the matches.

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The one-off pink-ball Test was completely dominated by the Indian side, but it ended as a draw.

Mandhana was adjudged as Player of the Match in that game after registering a fantastic century in the first innings.