England fast bowler Lauren Bell has become an overnight sensation in India, with thousands of fans celebrating her as the 'world's most beautiful cricketer' following her high-profile signing for a Women's Premier League team.
A Lucrative Deal and Fan Adoration
The 24-year-old, six-foot-two seam bowler was acquired by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a substantial £76,000 during Thursday's player auction. Bell wasn't the only English star to secure a contract, as world number one bowler Sophie Ecclestone joined UP Warriorz, Danni Wyatt-Hodge signed for Gujarat Giants, and Nat Sciver-Brunt agreed a deal with defending champions Mumbai Indians.
However, it was Bell's transfer that generated the most excitement among the Indian cricket community. Thousands of delighted supporters flooded the Englishwoman's Instagram account to welcome her to the league, with many commenting on her appearance alongside her cricketing talent.
Social Media Erupts with Praise
The reaction from Indian fans was both swift and overwhelming. One enthusiastic comment read, 'The most beautiful woman cricketer Lauren Bell will now play for the most beautiful franchise,' while another simply stated, 'We are very excited to see you playing for RCB team.'
Bell was most recently part of the England squad that travelled to India for the Women's Cricket World Cup last month. The Three Lions exited the tournament at the semi-final stage, suffering a heavy 125-run defeat to South Africa.
Looking Forward After World Cup Exit
Despite the disappointing conclusion to the World Cup campaign, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt praised her team's development. 'We've come a long way since the summer,' the all-rounder admitted. 'We're a different side from then and we've learnt a lot.'
She added, 'This will hurt but hopefully in time we'll be able to take the learnings from it and move forward because we've made some great strides so far in quite a short space of time. It's really exciting where we can go. To the best of teams, you really have to be at your best and hopefully we'll come back stronger.'
India eventually won the tournament, beating South Africa by 52 runs in front of approximately 45,000 fans in Mumbai. This victory marked a remarkable turnaround for the Indian women's team, which had lost three consecutive group stage games before dramatically reversing their fortunes to claim the championship.
