England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)

England captain Heather Knight, world’s top bowler Sophie Ecclestone and Australian leg-spinner Alana King are among the 12 foreign players who are set to take part in the Women’s T20 Challenge in Pune from May 23.

Alana, who impressed in the recent World Cup in New Zealand, is the only cricketer available from Australia for the exhibition event comprising three teams and four matches.

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Besides Knight and Ecclestone, Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt are the other English cricketers who have signed up for the competition. South Africa’s star opener Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp will also be a part of the event with West Indians Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews.

The Women’s Challenge did not take place last year and the upcoming edition is expected to be the last one with the BCCI planning a full-fledged Women’s IPL from next year.

England’s Knight, who led her team to the World Cup final last month, is currently in the UAE for the FairBreak Invitational T20 event alongside the rest of the players bound for the Women’s T20 Challenge.

The Indian players will be picked soon and the performances of the recently concluded domestic T20 event will be considered. KP Navgire scored the most runs in the competition, 525, followed by India batters Yastika Bhatia and Shafali Verma.

The top three wicket-takers were Aarati S. Kedar, Sujata Malik and Priyanka Priyadarshini.