CSK fan turned RCB lover: Kate Cross excited to join RCB for WPL 2024

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fan Kate Cross has pledged to continue supporting the team even as she joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for INR 30 lakh at the Women’s Premier League 2024 auction in Mumbai on Saturday, December 9. The reaction came as Alexandra Hartley tagged Cross on social media to welcome her to RCB for WPL 2024. For the unversed, Cross had once trolled the Bengaluru-based franchise during the IPL 2020 season. In reply to Hartley, the England Women’s cricketer shared a picture in an RCB jersey and wrote on X. Cross then went on to express her loyalty for CSK: “Ps. Still CSK.” For the uninitiated, Cross had gone unsold during the inaugural edition of the WPL. She then joined the T20 league as a commentator. The 32-year-old comes with experience of playing in the Women’s Big Bash League and The Hundred Women. The medium pacer scalped 10 wickets in as many games for the Northern Superchargers in the last edition of The Hundred Women. In international matches, Kate Cross has scalped 11 wickets in 16 T20Is. She has also bagged 79 and 24 wickets in 59 ODIs and seven Tests, respectively. Kate Cross had expressed her disappointment as the Chennai-based franchise didn’t bid for a WPL team during the inaugural edition of the tournament. Back then, she dropped a crying emoji to share her reaction on X (formerly Twitter). In an old interview, Cross expressed her love for CSK and MS Dhoni. She told News18: “I get so much feedback when I’m talking about the Chennai Super Kings. Honestly, the following from that team has even crossed over into my career because there are so many people who are following my cricket because of Chennai, it’s really special.” She added: “I think everyone is an MS Dhoni fan who supports CSK. I don’t know if I know anyone who doesn’t like him as a person or as a cricketer. I’ve just always looked at the way he has led his team. He looks really calm and collective. I’ve been a captain myself and I know how stressful those situations could be to be able to show that even if you are not feeling it is quite a skill.” Katie Cross will next be in action in a one-off Test against India Women at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai from December 14 onwards.