WPL: Delhi Capitals appoint Jonathan Batty as head coach; Hemlata Kala, Lisa Keightley to be assistant coaches

New Delhi: Delhi Capitals on Saturday announced they have appointed Jonathan Batty as the head coach of their team in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League, to be held between March 4-26 in the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

Batty, 48, has coached the Oval Invincibles women’s team to The Hundred titles in 2021 and 2022 apart from also coaching the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League and the Surrey Women’s side.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Delhi Capitals as Head Coach for the inaugural WPL. It’s a huge honour to have been granted this opportunity by the management, and I can’t wait to work with the team. It’s an incredible time to be involved in Women’s cricket and the WPL has the potential to transform the landscape of women’s professional sport globally,” he said in a statement by the franchise.

Former cricketers Hemlata Kala and Lisa Keightley have also been appointed as assistant coaches. Hemlata represented India in 7 Tests and 78 ODIs and has also been the chief of the national selection panel. It was during her tenure as Chief Selector that India reached the final of the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2017, a milestone moment for the women’s game in India.

“I am grateful and excited for this new role with Delhi Capitals. I am looking forward to putting together our squad ahead of the inaugural edition of the tournament, which I am confident will be a game-changer for women’s cricket,” she said.

Lisa played 9 Tests and 82 ODIs for Australia and coached the England women’s side to the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup final. She has also served as Head Coach for the Perth Scorchers and Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League apart from being the Tactical Performance Coach of Paarl Royals in the SA20.

“I’m very excited to be involved with the Delhi Capitals and to be working with so many different players and staff from around the world. WPL is a game changer for women’s sports around the world, and we have the opportunity to showcase cricket to a new audience,” she stated.

Biju George, who had a successful tenure as the fielding coach of the Indian women’s team, has been named as the side’s fielding coach. Incidentally, George works in the same capacity with the Delhi Capitals men’s side as well.

The inaugural auction for the Women’s Premier League will be held on February 13 in Mumbai. 409 players will go under the hammer, out of which 246 are Indians and 163 are overseas players, with eight players from associate nations.

–IANS