India opener Smriti Mandhana will be back with Western Storm for a second straight season of the KIA Super League, the side announced in a press release on Tuesday.
The left-hander’s first season in the England T20 League saw her go on a dream run of form. She brought up 421 runs at 60.14 and was named the player of the tournament.
After announcing her return, Mandhana said: “I enjoyed my time with Western Storm last year and I’m looking forward to coming back in 2019. We played some outstanding cricket last year and hopefully we can go a little further this season and lift the trophy.
“Everyone involved with Western Storm made me feel so welcome and, if given the opportunity, I was always going to come back. The culture around the team, from top to bottom, was very good and I know that everyone will be looking for success once again.
“The squad has a good mix of experienced players plus young players who have a point to prove. I hope that I can score the runs that will help to contribute to a successful year for Western Storm.”
Western Storm Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: “Everyone knows what Smriti is capable of and she was absolutely sensational for us last year’” he said. Her performances on the field were superb and really set the tone for what we were trying to achieve in each match.
“It wasn’t just the volume of her runs that was impressive, it was the manner in which they were scored that really caught the eye.
“She was exceptional off the field as well. Her team ethic and the way in which she goes about her training will no doubt inspire some of our younger players, who will certainly learn from someone like her.”
Mandhana will be joined by India teammate Deepti Sharma, who was also snapped up by Storm last week. Fellow opener Jemimah Rodrigues will be featuring for Yorkshire Diamonds.
