All I think about is winning matches for India, claims Smriti Mandhana
2018 ICC Women’s cricketer of the year awardee Smriti Mandhana revealed that the only thing on her mind while playing for the Indian women's team is to win matches for her country. Mandhana has also added that she looked up to veteran national cricketer Mithali Raj during the start of her career.
Smriti Mandhana, still aged 22, has quickly cemented her spot in the Indian women’s team under the guidance of experienced players like Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur. Mandhana’s exploits with the national team in the 2018 season also earned her the prestigious 2018 ICC Women’s cricketer of the year award.
Mandhana, who made her India Test debut in 2014 at the age of 17, has been one of the standout performers in the Indian team along with the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur. However, in a recent interview with Scroll. in, Mandhana revealed that despite her recent accolades on the international stage, her sole focus is to win matches for the senior team.
"I don’t think I’m the best in the world. All I think about is how to win matches for India. Everything else is part and parcel of it. My only approach while batting is to do what the teams needs of me. Such accolades come and go, you never know what’s going to happen, but India’s victories are going to stay with me forever. So that’s what I concentrate on," Mandhana told Scroll.in.
Mandhana was part of the Indian team to reach the final of the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup where the team lost to England by nine runs. The Maharashtra-born cricketer revealed that she looked up to former India captain, Mithali Raj, during the early stages of her career.
"I remember playing my first domestic match against her team and I wasn’t able to concentrate at all. I kept looking at her and how she bats. When I was 11 or 12, Mithali di was someone we all looked up to. Honestly, though, I didn’t watch much cricket when I was growing up. Be it men’s or women’s.
"I started following the game after I was 13 or 14. So Mithali di and Jhulu di were people I admired. Now I hear stories about Diana ma’am, Neetu ma’am, Shubhangi ma’am, and how they have done amazing things for India. My respect has grown for them tenfold," Mandhana added.
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