KSL: Smriti Mandhana to return to Western Storm

World number one ODI batswoman Smriti Mandhana will be returning to Western Storm for the 2019 season of the Kia Super League (KSL).

"Everyone involved with Western Storm made me feel so welcome and, if given the opportunity, I was always going to come back. The culture around the team, from top to bottom, was very good and I know that everyone will be looking for success once again," Mandhana said in an official statement released by Western Storm.

"The squad has a good mix of experienced players plus young players who have a point to prove. I hope that I can score the runs that will help to contribute to a successful year for Western Storm," she added.

Mandhana played a substantial role for the team last year as she helped the side to reach the finals day for the third consecutive season.

The 22-year-old has scored over 1900 runs in 50 ODI matches at an average of 42.41. She has appeared in 58 T20Is for India, scoring 1298 runs at a strike-rate of 119.08.

Mandhana finished the 2018 edition of the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 421 runs at an average of 60.14 and she even went on to score a century.

"Everyone knows what Smriti is capable of and she was absolutely sensational for us last year. Her performances on the field were superb and really set the tone for what we were trying to achieve in each match," Western Storm Head Coach, Trevor Griffin, said.

"It wasn't just the volume of her runs that was impressive, it was the manner in which they were scored that really caught the eye," he added.

India's all-rounder Deepti Sharma will also be seen representing Western Storm this year.

Earlier in June, Western Storm had announced that England captain Heather Knight and pacer Anya Shrubsole will be returning to the team for the 2019 season.

This year's KSL edition will start on August 6 and will see six teams - Lancashire Thunder, Loughborough Lightning, Western Storm, Surrey Stars, Yorkshire Diamonds, Southern Vipers - playing each other twice in a league format.

The top three teams qualify for finals day on September 1, with the second and third-placed sides competing for the chance to face the first-placed league winners in the final. Southern Vipers, Western Storm and Surrey Stars have won the tournament once each in 2016, 2017, 2018, respectively.