Chantam to be first Thai in Women's T20 Challenge

NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Nattakan Chantam will become the first player from Thailand to feature in the Women's T20 Challenge to be played in the United Arab Emirates from Nov. 4 to 9, the organising Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Sunday.

The three-team tournament is played alongside the men's Indian Premier League with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hoping to launch a full-fledged women's IPL in future.

Opener Chantam, who was Thailand's top scorer in this year's Women's T20 World Cup in Australia, will represent the Trailblazers captained by India's Smriti Mandhana, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.

All-rounders Deandra Dottin (West Indies) and Salma Khatun (Bangladesh) and left-arm England spinner Sophie Ecclestone are Trailblazers' other three overseas players.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the Supernovas, who won both the titles since the tournament's start in 2018.

The Sri Lankan duo of Chamari Atapattu and Shashikala Siriwardene, West Indian Shakera Selman and South Africa's Ayabonga Khaka are the overseas players for the Supernovas.

Former India captain Mithali Raj will skipper the Velocity side, also including New Zealander Leigh Kasperek, England's Danielle Wyatt, South African Sune Luus and Jahanara Alam of Bangladesh.

The teams will play each other once before the top two contest in the final a day before the IPL summit clash.

Several leading players are missing from this year's tournament, which clashes with the Women's Big Bash League in Australia, which starts on Oct. 25, with the final set for Nov. 29. (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)