Sangli's Gift To Women's Cricket

“Individually, this performance in the World Cup will motivate each of us to do well. That people have supported us so much is a GREAT BOOST for all of us. It will definitely inspire all the players to do even better in the future,” Smriti Mandhana tells SHAYAN ACHARYA.

- Shayan Acharya

There is a thing about Smriti Mandhana. The young batswoman, who made a 90 and an unbeaten century in the recent Women’s World Cup, is smart, intelligent and at the same time down to earth. Her team-mates have never seen Mandhana losing her cool. Rather, she is someone, who loves keeping things simple.

Ask her and the 21-year-old, who hails from Sangli — a small town in Maharashtra — agrees that it has been her strategy all this while. Speaking to Sportstar from her home, Mandhana initially sounded a bit hesitant, but then spoke at length on issues that have mostly remained unsaid.

Excerpts:

Question: After the World Cup, as you settle down, what are your thoughts about the future?

Answer: Individually, this performance in the World Cup will motivate each of us to do well. That people have supported us so much is a great boost for all of us. It will definitely inspire all the players to do even better in the future. Personally, the focus now is to get back into the groove, concentrate on the game and try and not make mistakes like we did in the World Cup.

Now, as you look back, what are the mistakes you would have liked to avoid in the World Cup?

My shot selection wasn’t good. That is one area I need to work on during the off-season. I will once again watch those footages and try to improve on my selection of shots. Those things are still fresh in the mind, so I will also speak to my coach and discuss how to improve the shot selection. I will try and play more local matches during the off-season. This is required so that I am ready for the next challenge, and that I don’t repeat the same errors.