Smriti Mandhana couldn’t have said it any better when she recently shared a fine insight alluding to the ideal mindset of a cricketer.
“Never take anything for granted. You have to start all over again after an inning. Whatever happens the previous day, there is always a new day!”
However, for the intrepid Indian cricket fan it is nothing shy of a new day whenever Smriti Mandhana walks out to bat.
For when she does, she always exhibits the power to change the context of an inning, often all by herself.
What a transition it has really been for the young bespectacled girl all saw back in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup, a cornerstone of sorts for the women’s game, in general.
From being this seemingly shy and quiet looking youngster who came into her own whilst wielding the bat into becoming arguably the most dangerous hitter of the cricket ball, Smriti Mandhana has risen like a storm.
For someone who can force her way onto the bowlers, often compelling them to have a rethink about what lines should they bowl at, Smriti Mandhana is a symbol of intent and without much doubt, of sheer pride in our Indian cricketers. Yesterday, in the bygone era, she was the emerging young cricketer; slightly reserved, somewhat geeky looking.
Today, Smriti Mandhana, who’s just turned 28, is the giver of hope to tens of millions who seek in Indian cricket a way of life.
Forget not, the Sangli-born conqueror of some of the world’s most emphatic and appealing bowlers is also the giver of confidence to the next generation of young talents keen to break into the Indian women’s national team. This was once the left hander whose job was to learn from giants in the side, think the iconic Mithali Raj and the powerful Harmanpreet Kaur.
And yet, here is Smriti Mandhana, perhaps the best role model figure someone like a Jemimah Rodriguez and Shafali Verma can look upto.
At the peak of her powers with no fewer than 228 international games for India against her name, Smriti Mandhana’s career has unfolded like a promising tale that’s only become more interesting with each passing year.
Many, to this day, would unabashedly quote her stoic effort against the Windies women in the 2017 World Cup that thoroughly added to the batter’s allure. But no die hard women’s game fan will, quite possibly, forget her sheer brilliance against the Proteas women as seen most recently in the bi lateral ODI series that featured three games.
In emerging with a new world record and one to cherish for times to come, Mandhana, typically elegant and powerful in equal measure, tamed a potent South African attack while on her way to 343 runs. Lest it is forgotten, all it took her to compile those runs were just 3 games.
In so doing, one of India’s most loved daughters launched ahead of two huge names in the women’s game: Amelia Kerr and Tammy Beaumont. Not someone who waits for an extended period before announcing her intentions with the bat, Mandhana looks an able handler of pace and can adapt quickly against spin even on turning wickets.
She might not have played a big deal of Test cricket but then there aren’t too many red-ball games anyway, and yet she’s already scored 2 hundreds and 3 fifties in 7 games. But the format that has truly amplified Smriti Mandhana’s cricket is the white ball competition. Already touching 7,000 white ball runs with 3,300 plus runs from 136 T20I’s already, Smriti Mandhana can be savage and scintillating in equal measure on any given day.
For sure, there are occasions where she’d like to fare better and punch above her weight, for instance the big decisive ICC World Cup games against noted opponents like Australia.
But with redoubtable talent and importantly, experience on her side, it could well be a matter of time before Smriti leads India to a commanding title akin to her notable triumph as captain of the RCB women in the 2024 edition of the much-loved league.
For someone who has much to offer and is hitting new peaks, cricket, truth be told, becomes an unavoidable spectacle when the thinking cricketer gets going on the 22 yards. That is where she belongs. That is where she excels. Happy b’day, Smriti!