New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Pacer Siddharth Kaul has emerged as the only Indian player in the men’s list of over 600 cricketers who have registered for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) draft, scheduled to be held on June 19.
The draft, announced by Cricket Australia, features a global pool of T20 talent, with 178 English players, 74 from Pakistan, 42 from the West Indies, and 13 from Sri Lanka also throwing their hats into the ring.
Kaul, a former India international and seasoned IPL campaigner, will be hoping to revive his T20 fortunes by securing a contract in Australia’s premier franchise league. He stands alone as India’s sole male representative in the 2025 BBL draft, underlining the rarity of Indian participation in overseas T20 leagues.
One of the most high-profile names in the draft, however, is legendary England fast bowler James Anderson, who has made headlines by registering for the BBL draft at the age of 42. Having recently returned to T20 cricket after an 11-year hiatus, Anderson impressed in the Vitality T20 Blast for Lancashire, returning figures of 3 for 17 and finishing with 10 wickets in just four games.
If picked, Anderson could become the oldest overseas player ever to feature in the BBL and the second-oldest in tournament history after Brad Hogg.
This isn’t Anderson’s first attempt at franchise league participation this year. He had earlier registered for both the IPL 2025 mega auction and The Hundred draft but went unsold on both occasions. However, with his recent form and legendary status, franchises may be more inclined to take a punt on the veteran this time around.
In the women’s draft, India will be more visibly represented, with Shikha Pandey, Yastika Bhatia, and Jemimah Rodrigues entering the fray for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft. The Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers will have the first picks in the BBL and WBBL drafts, respectively, both of which will span four rounds per team.
–IANS
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