London, Jul 18 (IANS): India woman all-rounder Deepti Sharma is set to make her return to The Hundred 2024, signing with the London Spirit as a replacement for the injured Grace Harris. Deepti, who previously played for the Spirit in the competition's inaugural season in 2021, will rejoin the team after the Asia Cup in Dambulla.
Deepti's arrival is eagerly anticipated, though she will miss the start of the competition due to her commitments with the Indian national team. The London Spirit will rely on Erin Burns to cover Deepti's absence for the first two games. Burns, already in the UK playing for the Northern Diamonds, is a capable interim replacement until Deepti joins the squad.
The Hundred begins on July 23, with the London Spirit set to play their opening match against Southern Brave on July 24. Deepti is one of three Indian players slated to participate in The Hundred this season, alongside Richa Ghosh (Birmingham Phoenix) and Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave).
Like Deepti, Ghosh and Mandhana are also part of India's Asia Cup squad and will miss the first week of The Hundred.
The ECB has confirmed several other player replacements due to injuries and scheduling conflicts. Sophie Molineux of the Manchester Originals has withdrawn from the competition, with no specified reason, though it is likely due to Australia's busy upcoming schedule, including a series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup in September.
Molineux has been replaced by Kim Garth, and Bethan Ellis will join the Originals as a replacement for Mahika Gaur, who has pulled out due to a side strain.
The Oval Invincibles have yet to replace Tash Farrant, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury. However, Beth Langston will replace Claire Nicholas at Welsh Fire. Additionally, Louis Kimber from Leicestershire will step in for the injured Will Smeed at Birmingham Phoenix, and Mohammad Amir has signed with the defending champions, the Invincibles, as short-term cover while Spencer Johnson finishes his commitments with Major League Cricket.
As ESPNcricinfo reported, England's Test batters will be available for the men's Hundred immediately following their third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston. However, England's bowlers and allrounders, including Ben Stokes, are expected to participate only in the latter half of the group stages due to workload management.