Smriti Mandhana recalls receiving Indian jersey at age of 17, how T20 WC 2024 group-stage exit changed the team

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 25 (ANI): Ahead of her side's ICC Women's World Cup campaign, Indian batter Smriti Mandhana spoke on receiving her Indian jersey for the first time ever as a teenager, saying that her brother and parents felt "emotional" on seeing her wearing India's iconic blue colours.
Smriti, currently in red-hot form heading into the tournament, was speaking to JioStar ahead of her side's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup campaign start against Sri Lanka from September 30 at Guwahati.
Speaking to JioStar, Smriti recalled that she was 17 when she received her Indian jersey, having made her debut in 2014.
"I remember I was 17 when I got the India jersey in my room. I do not think I can forget it. I wore it and sent the photos to my parents and my brother. They were very emotional," recalled Mandhana proudly.
Smriti recalled that being in Sangli, a city in Maharashtra, and not many girls playing cricket back then was a significant challenge for her, as she had to travel to Pune and spend four to five months away from home.
"As a 14-year-old to do that, and miss out on school, it was very challenging," she added.
Smriti recalled that during the semifinal of the Commonwealth Games against Australia back in 2022 at Birmingham, a tournament in which India secured a historic silver medal, was one of those instances of feeling "extremely proud of wearing the jersey". She also said that since then, with so much hard work put in, the belief within the team has "changed a lot".
"Everyone believes they are match-winners. The last T20 World Cup (in 2024 when India finished at third in Group stage and missed out the next round) was something which hit me quite a lot. I thought to myself, 'I do not want to feel like this as an athlete in my life'. Post that, a lot of fitness and nutritional changes have come into place. We all have been waiting for this World Cup," she added.
Mandhana said that since 2013, a lot has changed for women's cricket and she is excited to see fans turning in big numbers to cheer the team.
"The Women's Premier League (WPL) has made us immune to the loud crowd as well. Nothing can beat people cheering India at the stadiums," she concluded.
This year, Mandhana has been in red-hot form, scoring 928 runs in 14 innings at an average of 66.28 with a strike rate of 115.85, with four centuries and three fifties and a best score of 135.
She finished as the leading wicket-taker in the recent home series against Australia, which India lost 1-2, with 300 runs in three matches at an average of 100.00, with two centuries and a fifty. In the final ODI yesterday, with a 50-ball century, she overtook Virat Kohli to register the fastest century by an Indian in ODI cricket across both men's and women's cricket.
India will start their Cricket World Cup campaign at home against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, with Mandhana needing 43 runs to break Australia's Belinda Clark's record of 970 runs in women's ODIs during the 1997 calendar year, the most by a women's cricketer.
In 16 WC matches for India, Mandhana has made 559 runs in 16 innings at an average of 37.26, with two centuries and three fifties, with a best score of 123.
India squad for ICC Women's World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud. Reserves: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare. (ANI)