London [UK], March 21 (ANI): Star India batter Smriti Mandhana and wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh are the only two Indians picked up in the Hundred 2024 draft for the upcoming season.

Mandhana joined the Southern Brave, meanwhile, the Birmingham Phoenix roped in Richa for the forthcoming Women's Hundred 2024. English cricketer Amy Jones was the first pick during the draft, as she joined the Birmingham Phoenix after failing to agree to a retention last month. On the other hand, star Sri Lankan all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu was picked by the Invincibles. After the England Cricketer Board (ECB) decided to increase the top salaries in the women's Hundred, many foreign cricketers joined the tournament. Manchester Originals picked Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning joined London Spirit, Ash Gardner roped in by the Trent Rockets, all picking up a contract worth 50,000 euros. In the men's draft, star English batter Jason Roy going unselected was one of the shocking points. After the end of the previous season, Oval Invincibles released him from the squad, after he failed to make an impact for the team with three ducks. Apart from Jason, English pacer Mark Wood also went unselected for the upcoming season. However, for the first three seasons of the Hundred, Wood pulled himself out for injury troubles. In the men's draft, West Indies star batters were the favourites, with Nicholas Pooran joining Northern Superchargers. While Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer to take part in the tournament, London Spirit. On the other hand, Kieron Pollard will wear the Southern Brave's jersey and the Trent Rockets picked Rovman Powell for the upcoming season. Star Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will play for the Welsh Fire, after he was brought back last summer. Afridi's teammate, Naseem Shah, was the top pick for the Birmingham Phoenix. According to ESPNcricinfo, after the end of the draft, each team will add a further two players to both their men's and women's squads ahead of the start of the season in July, who will be offered 'wildcard' contracts based on their performances in domestic T20 cricket. (ANI)