Deandra Dottin, Shakera Selman excited about Women's T20 Challenge in UAE

West Indies stars Deandra Dottin and Shakera Selman have expressed their enthusiasm for participating in the Women's T20 Challenge scheduled to begin on November 4 in the UAE. While Selman has played in the tournament last year, this will be a debut for Dottin in the event.



Dottin would be representing the Trailblazers under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana which boasts the likes of legendary pacer Jhulan Goswami, top-ranked T20I bowler Sophie Ecclestone and others. The aggressive allrounder said that her selection for the tournament has come in an exciting time for her.



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"Having played at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year and more recently the series against England Women, I am now back into the groove of T20 cricket," she said. The 29-year-old had a brilliant outing in the recently concluded five-match T20I series in England and ended up as the leading runscorer with 185 runs in five innings.



Dottin would be hoping to continue the good form into the Women's T20 Challenge. "I am looking forward to teaming up with some of the superstars in women’s cricket. I have good memories of playing in Dubai, and I’m hoping that my recent return to form will continue throughout this tournament," she added.



For Selman, this season will see her bond with new teammates. The right-handed pacer has been drafted into Harmanpreet Kaur-led Supernovas, she represented Trailblazers last year.



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“I’m looking forward to my second stint in the Women’s IPL Challenge. Last year, we just missed out on being in the final. But this time, I’m with the defending champions, the Supernovas, and I hope, I can contribute to their defense of the trophy," she said.



The 31-year-old seamer stated that she is thrilled to play alongside the international stars in her team and to compete against her fellow West Indies teammate Dottin. "To line up with the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Chamari Atapattu, I know we’re going to bring the heat to this tournament. I’m looking forward to competing against Deandra, and I know she’s not going to hold back her destructive batting and bowling."



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Meanwhile, West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor and all-rounder Hayley Mathews, who were a part of the T20 Challenge last year, won't be seen this time as they have already signed for Women's Big Bash League in Australia earlier. Taylor was re-signed by Adelaide Strikers while Mathews would be walking out for Hobart Hurricanes.



Cricket West Indies’ Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said that the board is proud of the players participating in the Women's T20 Challenge and WBBL06. "The four players have all been rewarded for their performances at the highest level, and we wish them all the success possible with their franchise teams,” he concluded.