All you need to know about Women's Cricket Super League

Women's Cricket Super League is back for its fourth edition, which is scheduled to be held from August 6 to Septemeber 1 in the UK.

The tournament known as KIA Super League (KSL) will see six teams - Lancashire Thunder, Loughborough Lightning, Southern Vipers, Surrey Stars, Western Storm, and Yorkshire Diamonds - playing against each other in a home and away basis.

India T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur and opening batter Smriti Mandhana returned for KSL, while batter Jemimah Rodrigues and all-rounder Deepti Sharma will debut.

Western Storm

The winners of the 2017 edition will be led by England World Cup winning skipper Heather Knight. Both Mandhana and Sharma will play for the Storm as an overseas player, with the third player in New Zealand's Rachel Priest.

 

Squad: Heather Knight (c), Anya Shrubsole, Fran Wilson, Freya Davies, Dani Gibson, Ellie Mitchell, Claire Nicholas, Sophie Luff, Naomi Dattani, Amara Carr, Sonia Odedra, Alex Griffiths, Smriti Mandhana, Rachel Priest, Deepti Sharma.

Lancashire Thunder

The team will be led by England pacer Kate Cross as she takes over retired cricketer Danielle Hazell. Harmanpreet has rejoined the team as an overseas player and will be accompanied by South Africa's Sune Luus and Australia's Tahlia McGrath.

Squad: Kate Cross (c), Alex Hartley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophia Dunkley, Georgie Boyce, Emma Lamb, Danielle Collins, Alice Dyson, Ria Fackrell, Ellie Threlkeld, Eve Jones, Harmanpreet Kaur, Sune Luus, Tahlia McGrath.

Yorkshire Diamonds

England batter Lauren Winfield will once again captain the side, having led in all three previous editions. Rodrigues will make her maiden stint in the UK-based league along with Australia's Alyssa Healy. New Zealand's Leigh Kasperek will also play for the Diamonds as a foreign player.

It will be interesting to see both Healy and Katherine Brunt in the same team as the players combine a total of 370 international appearances across all formats.

Squad: Lauren Winfield (c), Katherine Brunt, Alice Davidson-Richards, Katie George, Linsey Smith, Hollie Armitage, Georgia Davis, Helen Fenby, Cordelia Griffith, Bess Heath, Beth Langston, Katie Levick, Alyssa Healy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Leigh Kasperek.

Surrey Stars

The defending champions will be skippered by England all-rounder Natalie Sciver. South African trio Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Dane van Niekerk will rejoin the Stars. The team will also see England star wicket-keeper batter Sarah Taylor once again wearing the gloves for the side.

Squad: Natalie Sciver (c), Laura Marsh, Sarah Taylor, Bryony Smith, Amy Gordon, Mady Villiers, Aylish Cranstone, Gwenan Davies, Grace Gibbs, Eva Grey, Hannah Jones, Rhianna Southby, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelee Lee, Dane van Niekerk.

Loughborough Lightning

Lightning will be captained by England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss, who has led the side since the inception of the KSL. Sri Lanka's Chamari Atapattu, West Indies' Hayley Matthews and South Africa's Mignon du Preez and Shabnim Ismael form the overseas contingent.

Squad: Georgia Elwiss (c), Amy Jones, Jenny Gunn, Kirstie Gordon, Abbey Freeborn, Lucy Higham, Tara Norris, Alice Monaghan, Kathryn Bryce, Georgia Adams, Sarah Glenn, Jo Gardner, Mignon du Preez, Hayley Matthews, Chamari Atapattu.

Southern Vipers

England batter Tamsin Beaumont will captain the team for the first time. Experienced New Zealand's Suzie Bates has returned to the side. The other two foreign players are West Indies's Stafanie Taylor and Australia's Amanda Wellington.

Squad: Tamsin Beaumont (c), Danielle Wyatt, Tash Farrant, Suzie Bates, Stafanie Taylor, Amanda Wellington, Charlie Dean, Maia Bouchier, Lauren Bell, Carla Rudd, Paige Scholfield, Thea Brookes, Marie Kelly, Issy Wong, Fi Morris.

Lancashire Thunder will take on Southern Vipers in the curtain-raiser later today. The match will be followed by a clash between Loughborough Lightning and Western Storm before Surrey Stars takes on Yorkshire Diamonds.