'Hard to get into..': Smriti Mandhana on challenges of transition
What's the story
After India's recent Women's World Cup victory, Smriti Mandhana has opened up about the challenges of transitioning from 50-over cricket to T20Is. The star opener returned to form in the fourth WT20I against Sri Lanka with a brilliant 80-run knock. She said that getting back into "T20 mode" after playing so much ODI cricket was difficult mentally. Here are further details.
Performance reflection
Mandhana's thoughts on her performance
Mandhana's initial scores in the series were 25, 14, and 1. She said she had plans against Sri Lanka's bowling but admitted that she may have given her wicket away while trying to execute shots she'd been practicing. "I came here early and worked on a few things, but no matter how much you train, doing it out in the middle is always different," Mandhana said after being named Player of the Match.
Partnership praise
Mandhana praises Shafali Verma's impact
Mandhana also praised her opening partner, Shafali Verma, for their record 162-run partnership in just 15.2 overs. "Batting with Shafali is always a treat for the eyes," she said, adding that their contrasting styles and growing understanding helped them build a dominant opening partnership. The duo propelled India to a record total of 221/2. In response, the Lankan Women scored 191/6 to lose by 30 runs.
Team dynamics
Mandhana highlights shift in team culture
Mandhana also spoke about the change in India's team culture over the last year, stressing on togetherness and shared happiness. She recalled a special moment when a debutant made her first big contribution for the national team. "In the last one year there's a different team building that has happened, everyone celebrates each other's success," Mandhana said.
DYK
2nd Indian woman with 10,000 international runs
Mandhana hit 80 off 48 balls. Her knock had 11 fours and three sixes. The game saw Mandhana become the 2nd Indian batter to complete 10,000 international runs across formats. She now owns 10,053 runs in Women's Internationals from 281 matches across the three formats. She owns 17 hundreds and 69 fifties. Overall, she is the 4th women's batter to attain this landmark.