Few sights in women’s cricket are as reassuring as Smriti Mandhana in full flow for India. The elegant left-hander was at her fluent best in India’s historic Test triumph at Lord’s, scoring twin half-centuries to help script a memorable victory over England. In an interview with TOI, the 29-year-old spoke about India’s landmark win at Lord’s, lessons from repeated T20 World Cup disappointments, the impact of the WPL, and why she feels ready for the India captaincy if and when the opportunity comes. Excerpts…What did it mean to be part of India’s first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s and contribute significantly to the win?It was amazing to be part of the first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s and, more importantly, to win it. Contributing to a historic victory for India was special. As kids, we all dreamt of playing Test cricket, so to do it at Lord’s made it even more memorable.Yastika Bhatia credited you for helping her through her recovery after ACL surgery. What did you tell her?Any knee injury is extremely difficult for a player. In Yastika’s case, it happened before a home World Cup, which made it even tougher. I told her how my own ACL injury in 2017 helped me grow both as a person and an athlete. Some of my best cricket came after that setback. I felt she would connect with that and stay motivated through the rehabilitation process.Why do you think India exited the T20 World Cup early?It’s important to introspect and learn from mistakes. Unfortunately, we haven’t learnt enough from our past errors and have continued to repeat them. Going forward, there needs to be a clear roadmap until the 2028 T20 World Cup on how we want to approach the format and what we need to do as a team.There has been speculation about a captaincy transition. Are you ready to lead India if asked?Yes, of course. I am ready.Four seasons into the WPL, India’s T20 results haven’t improved significantly. Has the league delivered enough Indian talent?I think the WPL has produced a lot of new talent and several players have made it to the national team. However, I feel they haven’t always been utilised to their best ability.You have led RCB to back-to-back WPL titles. What is your leadership philosophy?For me, creating a positive team culture is most important. Every player should feel comfortable expressing themselves and being who they are. When people feel valued and trusted, they tend to perform better.You’ve consistently delivered in major tournaments. Do big events bring out the best in you?It’s been a work in progress. Over the last couple of years, I’ve felt much calmer about my cricket, whether it’s a big tournament or a bilateral series. That calmness has helped me focus on doing my job for the team.As India’s premier batter, do you feel burdened by expectations?We have a lot of quality batters in this team. Whenever you pick up the bat for India, there is pressure to help your team win. But I enjoy that pressure. After all, what’s the fun of playing sports if there’s no pressure?What role has ICC chairman Jay Shah played in the growth of women’s cricket?Jay sir has been instrumental in the progress women’s cricket has made, not just in India but globally as well.
