Everyone looks very hungry – Smriti Mandhana on Team India’s mindset ahead of ICC WT20 World Cup

In less than a couple of weeks, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be underway in England. As Team India hunts redemption in the shortest format of the game at the grandest stage of all, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana opened up on how the Indian cricketers are in great form, especially after winning the ODI World Cup and an incredible season of the WPL.

Talking to BCCI.tv, Smriti Mandhana opened up how India will be keen on carrying forth the good form to the biennial extravaganza while underlining the key strength that the Indian batters have shown over the last few years. She also shed some light on the inclusion of power-hitters and how that changes dynamics for the entire side.

Explaining how India would like to take their good form to the WC, Mandhana said, “For sure, we will like to continue the good form which we've had, especially having the success in the 50-over format in the World Cup. And then, of course, WPL (Women's Premier League) was also good for a lot of players to get that experience, plus the T20 series in Australia. Having said that, with cricket, it's all about how you start again. But I feel more than anything, with this team, we are really hungry. Everyone looks very hungry in terms of doing the right things.”

Shedding light on the dynamics of a power-packed batting unit, Mandhana said, “I feel great as a batter top out of the order, we have so many power hitters coming in later. We can take our time. t has not been typical strength for this Indian team. But now it's turning out to be our strength because we have the likes of Shafali [Verma], Richa [Ghosh]. Harman, of course, has been doing this for a very long time. And even people like me or Jemimah [Rodrigues], we know we can find a way around the same strike rate to play. "

She also revealed her driving force in the first tournament that she played, adding, “I was like 16 or 17 when I played my first World Cup. That time you are not thinking about what is happening and all. But then I saw the respect for the Australian team, for me, that is when I was like, that is what I want. As a player, that was pretty attractive that, OK, you know, when the Indian team goes, we need to command that respect.”

She concluded by stating, “And for me, that is when I started feeling that, OK, I want to win the World Cup for India. I want to win the World Cup because I want to get that sort of a feeling.”