Ready to captain India: Smriti Mandhana | Cricket News
There are few such reassuring sights in women’s cricket Mandana India is firing on all cylinders. The elegant left-hander was at her best in India’s historic Test win at Lord’s, scoring two half-centuries and helping script a memorable win against England. In an interview with TOI, the 29-year-old talks about India’s landmark win at Lord’s, lessons from repeated T20 World Cup defeats, the impact of the WPL and why she feels she is ready to captain India when the opportunity comes. extract…What does it mean to play in India’s first Women’s God Test and make a significant contribution to the victory?It was fantastic to play in the first ever Women’s Test at Lord’s and more importantly to win it. To have contributed to India’s historic victory was special. As kids, we all dreamed of playing Test cricket, so playing at Lord’s made it all the more memorable.Yashtika Bhatia Thank you for helping her recover after ACL surgery. What did you tell her?Any knee injury is extremely difficult for a player. In the case of Yastika, the fact that this happened before the home World Cup made things even more difficult. I told her about how my own ACL injury in 2017 helped me grow as a person and as an athlete. Some of my best cricketing results came after that setback. I feel like she will understand this and stay motivated during the recovery process.Why do you think India exited the T20 World Cup early?It’s important to reflect and learn from your mistakes. Unfortunately, we have not learned enough from past mistakes and continue to repeat them. Going forward, ahead of the 2028 T20 World Cup, we need to have a clear roadmap on how we want this format to take shape and what we need to do as a team.There was speculation about the captaincy transition. If someone asks you, are you ready to lead India?Yes of course. I am ready.Four seasons into the WPL, India’s T20 results have not improved significantly. Is the league delivering enough Indian talent?I think the WPL has cultivated a lot of new players and several players have entered the national team. However, I feel like they don’t always perform to the best of their ability.You led RCB to consecutive WPL titles. What is your leadership philosophy?For me, creating a positive team culture is the most important thing. Every player should be able to express themselves and be themselves easily. People tend to perform better when they feel valued and trusted.You have always performed well in major events. Do big events bring out the best in you?This is a work in progress. Over the past few years, I have felt more at peace with my cricket, be it a major tournament or a bilateral series. This calm helps me focus on doing my job for the team.Do you feel pressure as India’s leading batsman?We have a lot of good hitters on this team. Whenever you pick up the bat for Team India, you are under pressure to help your team win. But I enjoy the pressure. After all, what fun would it be to exercise without stress?What role has ICC President Jay Shah played in the development of women’s cricket?Mr. Jay has been instrumental in the advancement of women’s cricket, not just in India but globally.
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