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Star Indian opener Smriti Mandhana emerged as the top performer for the national side last year, scoring 855 runs from 22 appearances. She also bagged the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021, thanks to her exploits with the bat.
Mandhana's childhood coach, Ananat Tambvekar, recently stated that the 25-year-old has been working hard on her game for several years and fully deserves the award. While speaking to the Times of India (TOI), he pointed out that the batter is a combination of legendary left-handed batters Kumar Sangakkara and Sourav Ganguly.
Tambvekar, who first started training Mandhana 13 years ago, compared her timing to that of Sangakkara. He added that there has also been a tremendous improvement in her off-side game over the years. He said:
“Initially, she was timing the ball like Sangakkara. It was just very similar. Now she is amazing on the off-side and that looks just like Sourav Ganguly’s (style). Smriti is a combination of Sangakkara and Ganguly. Be it timing the ball like Sangakkara or playing wonderfully on the off-side, Smriti is just amazing."
He mentioned that the talented batter seems to be in fine touch and can make a significant impact in the upcoming Women's World Cup 2022. He also revealed that Mandhana prepares according to the conditions, which is why she is successful in overseas conditions as well.
Tambvekar added:
"She practices as per the conditions ahead of a tour. If she is going to Australia, she practices with wet tennis balls. If she is going to the UK, she practices early in the morning because it is pretty cold and windy in the UK. That’s the reason behind her run-making spree. She practices as per the conditions. That’s why she is in the top 10 of the world rankings,”
Mandhana will next be seen in action in February during India Women's forthcoming tour of New Zealand. The Women in Blue are scheduled to play a one-off T20I against the Kiwis, which will be followed by a five-match ODI series.
"Smriti Mandhana is ideal captaincy material" - Former India Women's team fielding coach Biju George
India Women's former fielding coach Biju George has backed Smriti Mandhana to take up a leadership role. While speaking to TOI, he stated that the elegant batter could be the ideal choice for the ODI captaincy after Mithali Raj's exit.
He believes she is the front-runner for the position as has been performing across formats. George reckoned that her tendency to stay away from controversies makes her an ideal choice for the crucial role.
George said:
"After Mithali Raj, I think she (Smriti) is an ideal captain for the Indian women’s team (ODIs). She is the one who is doing really well in all formats, she is young, she is talented, she is brainy, she is smart and the best part is that she doesn’t get into any controversies. She is ideal captaincy material.”
After the two New Zealand series, India will contest in ICC's Women's World Cup 2022 in March. The multi-nation event is also scheduled to be held in New Zealand this year.
