On Friday, the Brisbane Heat announced that they have signed the premier Indian leg-spinner Poonam Yadav to complete their squad ahead of this month’s Women’s Big Bash League. She will be joining teh franchise after the conclusion of the Australia-India series currently underway, with Yadav in contention to play the remaining T20Is at Gold Coast’s Metricon Stadium on Saturday and Sunday night. She also became the eighth Indian player to sign a deal for the league this season.
Poonam Yadav will be expected to join the Heat squad in Hobart early next week, with the Brisbane-based players. Yadav is no stranger to Australian audiences, with her three-wicket burst in the opening game of the ICC 2020 T20 World Cup against Australia and finished teh game with the spell of 4-19 as India swept to an upset win over the host nation and tournament favorites.
Australia later had its revenge in the final played before a record crowd at the MCG, with Poonam Yadav bowling gamely against a rampant Australian batting performance. Yadav, 30, is currently the eighth-ranked bowler in the ICC T20 International rankings and ninth in the ICC ODI bowling rankings.
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Poonam Yadav had taken 98 wickets in her T20I career. She has taken four wickets in an innings on three occasions in T20Is and four times in ODIs and maintained an economy rate of 5.70. Yadav has played one Test to date, 54 ODIs and 71 T20 Internationals.
It will be her first stint in the WBBL, and Poonam Yadav becomes the second Indian player to link with the Heat after Smriti Mandhana in 2016. Yadav will fill the third international spot for the Heat left vacant last month when Amelia Kerr told the club she was unable to take up her WBBL contract as she will be giving time to her mental health and well-being.
🇮🇳 Introducing world class leggie, Poonam Yadav! 🇮🇳
👌 https://t.co/CLaZOqi3Y6#BringtheHEAT #WBBL07 pic.twitter.com/pHn1ANCSHl
— Brisbane Heat (@HeatBBL) October 8, 2021
Heat coach Ashley Noffke said the club was delighted to sign a player like Poonam Yadav close to the start of the series.
Ashley said, “It’s very exciting to welcome a player of her class and experience into our group. We know there is a lot of upside to Poonam coming on board this summer. When we lost Amelia Kerr, we were confident we could back our group to give a good account of themselves regardless. But adding Poonam’s skill and her competitiveness is a huge result.”
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He further added, “She is a different type of bowler to Melie, and we are clear on how we can best utilise her talents in our line-up. Jess Jonassen has played against her and as captain, she is very keen to work alongside her now she is with the Heat. We think Poonam will also be very good for the younger players in the squad – she has demonstrated her composure on the biggest stage in the world at the MCG and played cricket at a high level in a number of countries.”
