PANAJI
Goa all-rounder Shikha Pandey has been drafted by the Brisbane Heat for her debut season in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).
The pick in Sunday's player draft in Melbourne marks Shikha's first appearance in the WBBL, despite her extensive experience in club cricket in Queensland. Shikha's India teammate Jemimah Rodrigues was taken by Heat in the first round, following a strong 12 months in all forms of the game. Brisbane picked Shikha in the second round. Both players were teammates of Heat captain Jess Jonassen in the Delhi Capitals at the Women’s Premier League earlier this year.
The Heat assignment brings full circle the Goan all-rounder's personal journey after she paid her own way to Brisbane two years to undergo a pre-season in Queensland Premier Cricket. Shikha, 35, provides a key bowling option with the new ball as well as a hard-hitting middle-order player.
Formerly a squadron leader in the India Air Force where she was involved in air traffic control at major air force bases, Shikha created a unique connection with Brisbane in 2022 when she reached out to Belinda Clark and Ash Noffke to inquire about playing Premier Cricket in Brisbane.
Having missed a spot in the Indian ODI World Cup team, she was determined to rekindle her love for the game and paid her own way to Brisbane where a connection with former Sri Lankan women’s coach Harsha de Silva saw her end up playing for Wynnum-Manly in the KFC T20 Max tournament for the first two seasons.
It worked, earning her a spot in 2023 T20 World Cup squad for India, while she was named in the team of the tournament in the WPL earlier this year following her efforts for the Delhi Capitals. Shikha also played alongside Rodrigues in the Trinbago Knight Riders in their WCPL campaign that saw them make the Finals last week.
