After two blistering knocks in the early stages of the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in England, left-handed opening bat Smriti Mandhana grabbed most of the headlines. Her 72-ball 90 helped India floor England, host and favourites, in the opening match on June 24, and she followed this up with an elegant, unbeaten, match-winning 106 against the West Indies.
The 20-year-old’s attacking style, marked by delightful drives and punishing pulls, has ushered in a new wave of fans to the often forgotten world of women’s cricket.
Where are her cricket roots?
Born in Mumbai in 1996, Mandhana’s family moved to Sangli in Maharashtra when she was two years old. She developed a keen interest in the sport after watching her elder brother, Shravan, showcase his skills for the Sangli district and State junior teams. When she was 12, Mandhana’s father approached Anant Tambwekar, a private coach, to train her. Tambwekar was happy to take Mandhana under his wing. Her father knew Tambwekar well, because he was the coach of the Sangli under-16 team, which Shravan had played for.
“He asked me if I would train Smriti and I agreed. There were a few people who didn’t think much of a girl playing cricket, but I was not bothered by this sort of negativity,” Tambwekar recalls. The duo trained at the Chintaman Rao College of Commerce grounds. When Tambwekar and Mandhana began their journey of training together, they would have to roll and water the pitch themselves. But now that Mandhana has gained a level of popularity, a lot of people come forward to help. Mandhana did not consider moving to a big cricket centre like Mumbai because she was convinced that her hard work and focus would pay off even if she stuck to facilities in a small town, says Tambwekar.
What’s her success story?
At the age of 15, Mandhana displayed a penchant for big scores, recording three centuries and a double-century for the Maharashtra under-19 team in the West Zone one-day tournament. This included an unbeaten 224 off 150 balls against Gujarat. She earned her maiden India call-up a couple of years later. In February 2016, Mandhana scored her first international century at Hobart (102 off 109 balls), in a match that Australia won by 6 wickets. Later that year, Mandhana became the second Indian, after all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur, to sign up for the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia. Turning out for Brisbane Heat, she had a sub-par campaign, scoring only 89 runs in 12 matches.
Have there been injury scares?
During the Big Bash League, Mandhana injured her knee, and it was later revealed that she had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This forced her out of action for five months, which took a toll on her self-confidence. Tambwekar admits Mandhana was hugely demotivated during that period and says his only task was to make her mentally strong through constant positive reinforcement. She took inspiration from Test star Cheteshwar Pujara, who has successfully negotiated two ACL tears. The ongoing World Cup has marked Mandhana’s return to the international arena. All concerns surrounding her match-fitness were set aside when she hit the ground running in her comeback match, against England.
Why is she important to the team?
Mandhana, who will turn 21 on July 18, is at ease against pace, getting into good positions early to play her shots. This sound technique comes from her training routine, where she regularly faces promising junior and senior boys in the fast bowlers’ nets. The charged-up lads are told to fire on all cylinders.
“She plays the boys comfortably. They bowl quick, but she pulls and hooks the bouncers. In comparison, women fast bowlers are quite easy to handle,” says Tambwekar. Mandhana has a playing style all her own, but cricket fans may be reminded of two great timers of the ball when they see her cover drives and pull shots — Sourav Ganguly and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.
In Mandhana and the consistent Punam Raut, India boasts of a world-class opening pair. Punam is the less adventurous of the two when it comes to shot selection, which lends stability to the top of the order. With accomplished names like Deepti Sharma, Mithali Raj and Kaur waiting for their turn to get a hit, rival bowlers are up against the wall.
