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India’s Smriti Mandhana against England (X/BCCI)
India’s stand-in captain, Smriti Mandhana, is eager for more success after scoring her first T20I century in the series opener against England in Nottingham. Mandhana, taking the helm in the absence of the injured Harmanpreet Kaur, led by example as India secured a commanding 97-run victory. Displaying her impressive batting skills, Mandhana smashed 112 runs off 62 balls, propelling India to a formidable 210/5 in the first innings.
Despite her record-breaking performance, Mandhana admitted that T20Is don’t come naturally to her, as she prefers timing over power-hitting. After experiencing the thrill of a high score and breaking records, the 28-year-old left-hander aims to replicate such high-scoring performances in the future.
“It’s a nice feeling because, of course, this format is something which, for me as a batter, I need to keep pushing and keep improving. It’s not a very natural format for me because I like to time the ball, not a big hitter of the ball, and for the last six years, it’s always a work in progress, and it’s still a work in progress,” Mandhana was quoted as saying by ICC.
“So, to actually get a hundred in this format, of course, getting it before in Test cricket and One Day cricket, which are more suited to my batting [was significant as well]but getting it in this format is pretty special because it’s not one of my strengths. I mean, the improvement, and I’m trying to work a lot on my power hitting and to see that come through, which is a really nice feeling,” she added.
In the series opener, young Shafali Verma returned to the Indian setup for the first time after being dropped in late 2024. Her comeback didn’t start well as she struggled for rhythm, scoring a scratchy 20 off 22 balls. Despite this, Mandhana expressed confidence in the youngster.
“I’ve seen Shafali bat in the last seven-eight days, [she did] amazingly well in the nets. So I don’t see a big knock is too far because of the way she’s been hitting the ball. Sometimes, coming back into the Indian team and coming into the first match, of course, there are a different kind of nerves. I’m sure this match is going to take those nerves away for her,” she said.
With a 1-0 lead, India will aim to extend it in the second match, scheduled for Tuesday at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.
(With inputs from ANI)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
