Batting prodigy Shafali Verma has become the latest Indian cricketer to sign up for the WBBL.
Verma, aged 17 but already the top-ranked batter on the International Cricket Council's Twenty20 charts, and Radha Yadav will link up with the Sydney Sixers after the tourists' international series against Australia.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prevents male players under its umbrella, regardless of whether they hold a national contract or not, from joining T20 franchises outside the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The same rule does not apply to female players, with Verma, Yadav and several teammates expected to use the WBBL as a launching pad for the ODI World Cup in March.
Verma, who scored 56 on Sunday to help India snap Australia's 26-match ODI winning streak, made her international debut at the age of 15.
The opener quickly made a name for herself, bettering Sachin Tendulkar's mark to become the youngest Indian to score a half-century in international cricket.
Verma needed to clear remarkable hurdles just to play the sport as a child, having grown up in the conservative town of Rohtak.
Local cricket academies rejected the young gun because of her gender.
Verma cut her hair to try to look like a boy and proceeded to win 'man of the series' at an under-12 tournament, having pretended to be her brother after he fell ill and was unable to play.
Far from content with an already rapid rise, Verma detailed earlier this year how she played 150 straight bouncers in a training session then "rested for a bit and faced more bouncers" while trying to improve her approach to the short ball.
Verma is set to form a potent Sixers opening partnership with fellow hard-hitting batter Alyssa Healy.
"This is a very good opportunity for me and my goal is to just enjoy myself, to make some new friends and have fun," Verma said.
"I want to play WBBL and back myself and just believe in myself."
Sixers coach Ben Sawyer mentored Verma when he was coaching Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.
"Shafali is very impressive. She's such a talent and she's fearless," Sawyer said.
"She hits to different areas of the field and plays shots that are different to the other three girls in that (Sixers') top four."
Defending champions Sydney Thunder recently announced the recruitment of Indians Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma.
However, a knee injury will prevent South African speedster Shabnim Ismail from returning for another season with the Thunder.
Whereas other international recruits face a fortnight in a hotel room, India's cricketers have already cleared quarantine.
The WBBL is slated to start on October 14 in Tasmania, where players from NSW and Victoria have already started quarantine stints.
Australian Associated Press
