"You have to start from zero again": Smriti Mandhana after reaching 10k international runs landmark

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 29 (ANI): Smriti Mandhana became the second Indian and fourth overall among women players to reach the glorious milestone of 10,000 runs in international cricket. The left-handed batter reached the milestone during the fourth T20I of the five-match series against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.
The left-handed batter became the fourth women batter after Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, Charlotte Edwards and the second Indian after Mithali to achieve the 10,000-run milestone. In Test cricket, Mandhana has notched up 629 runs in seven matches and 12 innings at an average of 57.18, with two centuries and three fifties.
With 5,322 runs in 117 ODIs and innings at an average of 48.38, with 14 centuries and 34 fifties, Mandhana is the sixth-highest run-getter in the ODI format. In T20Is, Mandhana has slammed 4,102 runs in 157 matches and 151 innings at an average of 29.94, SR of 124.22, a ton and 32 fifties. She is the second-highest run-getter in this format.
The left-handed batter made 80 runs off 48 balls with the help of 11 fours and three sixes, which helped India to post their highest team total (221/2) in women's T20I cricket. In response, Women in Blue defended the target and Sri Lanka lost the match by 30 runs. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India took an unbeaten 4-0 lead with one match left.
After reaching the landmark of 10,000 runs in international cricket, Mandhana said that a player has to start from zero, and it's never been the case that what a player has done in the last match or previous series.
"I mean, that's never the case where we are like, we've done it before. I feel that, in cricket, you have to start from zero again. The scoreboard is always zero for zero. It's never what you've done in the last match or previous series as well," Mandhana said in a video posted on Instagram by the indiancricketteam.
"My internal expectations for all three formats are very different. Of course, T20 is slightly in a way where you can't be extremely hard with yourself after getting out because you're playing at a pace where there are days where it'll come off, there are days where it won't," the Indian cricketer said.
The left-handed batter opened up about not overthinking after getting dismissed or not having a great day on the field. "I'm really, really tough on myself with one-day cricket and test cricket because, of course, you have a lot of time. If you get out there, it feels like a sin for me. But there are days when you'll win the match for the country, but there are days when you won't be able to get runs. But I think you have to take both things at your stride because you can't overthink. It's just quick turnover. Like if I had thought a lot about the first three matches, we had only one day before this one."
Mandhana added that the biggest thing for Indian women's cricket was lifting the ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 title. She also highlighted the ups and downs this year and how the young Indian side is working every day.
"So it's about just your mind around how you want to go about your cricket. The ODI World Cup win was the biggest thing for women's cricket, and we did kick off that one. So it's a big, big win. But again, you can't be thinking only about successes. We've had times when we could have won matches, but we couldn't this year. And again, I feel with this team being this young, we are always in work in progress," Mandhana said. (ANI)