Smriti Mandhana Begins Tenure as Full-Time Captain of Indian Womens Cricket Team

Raipur, October 16 (Daily Kiran) : The Indian women’s cricket team is gearing up for an exciting series against Zimbabwe, with the first T20 match scheduled for Friday evening at 7 PM at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. This match marks the beginning of Smriti Mandhana’s journey as the team’s full-time captain.

In her inaugural press conference as captain, Mandhana emphasized the team’s focus on advancing Indian cricket over the next two to three years. “We have several major tournaments ahead,” she stated, highlighting the importance of strategic planning.

Mandhana dismissed the notion that this represents a new era for Indian cricket. Having served as vice-captain for the past decade, she has been closely involved in leadership roles and has led the team on multiple occasions. She believes that consistency will be vital for the team’s progress.

She also acknowledged the continued significance of former captain Harmanpreet Kaur in the dressing room. “Her experience will be crucial for the team,” Mandhana said, suggesting that with less pressure from captaincy, Kaur could emerge as an even more formidable force with the bat.

Regarding her captaincy style, Mandhana remarked, “I wouldn’t say it’s entirely new, but it will certainly be something to look forward to. I hope to do justice to this role.”

This series also provides the Indian team with an opportunity to test their combinations, particularly in the batting order at number three. With Jemimah Rodrigues sidelined due to injury, Mandhana sees potential in younger players stepping up.

“Jemimah has been injured for the last two months. We have exciting players like Anushka Sharma and Niki Prasad, who have performed well in domestic cricket. And of course, Kamalini, who batted at number three during the Asian Games. We have plenty of options,” she explained.

Mandhana’s current focus is on establishing new benchmarks for the team, especially in the T20 format, where she believes there is room for improvement.

Deputy captain Shafali Verma added, “We need to play fearless cricket in T20s while also being smart. We’ve discussed this.”

This series serves as the last opportunity to fine-tune the team’s combinations before their tour of South Africa in December. Although India’s encounter with Zimbabwe may not be steeped in rivalry, it could prove pivotal for both teams’ future directions.

Notably, this series is historic as it marks the first time the Indian team will face Zimbabwe. The tour includes three T20 matches and three ODIs.