Mithali - Latest News Update, Information, Photos & Videos on Mithali at Lokmat Times

"I never think about being the number one batter. I always think about how I can winmatches for India and how I can contribute more to the team. Other things are just part and parcel (of the game). I like to keep things simple and how I can improve," Mandhana said.Mandhana, vice-captain of Team India, was adjudged 'Women's Cricketer of the Year' as well as the 'Women's ODI Player of the Year' by the ICC.The women's cricket, especially in India, has been on upswing since the 2017 World Cup in England where India reached the finals. Mandhana feels this is the best phase of women's cricket."This is the best time to be a woman cricketer. Two years back, there was little television coverage and we didn't have good contracts. But the situation changed after 2017 World Cup. Many girls are now taking up cricket as a profession and women's IPL will be great as many young players will get opportunity," she said.The 22-year-old, however, feels winning the World Cup would be a massive boost for women's cricket in India and that's what they are focused on. "We still have to win the World Cup. My as well as the team's focus is to bring the World Cup home," Mandhana remarked.When asked about her feelings of being the 'face of women's cricket in India', she drew attention to the pioneers. "Where? I can't see it anywhere.""We are reaping the benefits of the hard work put in by the likes of Diana (Edulji)ma'am, Jhulu di (Jhulan Goswami), Mithali (Raj) di and Harry di (Harmanpreet). While the 2017 World Cup run did start an upswing, the process was started by these legends. I don't think about being the face because those things put unnecessary pressure on you. My job is to go out there and score runs for my team," she said.The elegant left-hander led Trailblazers in the recently concluded Women's T20Challenge and even though her team could not make it to the finals, she felt satisfiedwith the response the four-match tournament got from fans in this cricket-fanaticnation.With talks of a women's IPL in the pipeline, Mandhana, who has featured inthe Big Bash (Australia's T20 league) and Kia Super League (England's T20 tourney),feels these are exciting times to be playing cricket in India."I am satisfied with the rate at which women cricket is growing in India. You can see the success of Women's IPL. There was a crowd of 15,000 in the finals. Even though I was not a part of the summit clash, I was feeling proud of being a woman cricketer," Mandhana said."The BCCI has a roadmap with regard to the Women's IPL and we are happy with the progress. They have done a fantastic job. But one can't compare a women's T20 league in India with say, the Big Bash. They are an eight-team competition and we are three (one team was added this year). You will also have to take into account the huge popularity that cricket enjoys in our country. This isn't to say one league is better than the other, but we are happy with the way things are moving," she remarked.(Aakash Kumar can be contacted at aakash.k@.in)

Home

City

Latest News

Cricket

LT Premium

National

International

Maharashtra

Opinions

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Nagpur

Entertainment

Photos

Business

Technology

Sports

Lifestyle

Social Viral

Lokmat Games

Health

Narendra Modi

Lok Sabha Election 2024

Heatwave In India

Mumbai Water Cut

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election

IPL 2024

MithaliFOLLOW

Mithali, Latest News

Cricket :Mithali shuts down troll criticising her language preferences

Ace Indian cricketer Mithali Raj has shut down a troll who targeted her for her language preferences. ...

Cricket :A look at Mithali's 5 best knocks in T20I

The captain of the Indian women's ODI team, Mithali Raj, on Tuesday announced retirement from T20 internationals, saying that she needed time to focus on the 2021 ODI World Cup, slated to be held in New Zealand. ...

Entertainment :Sports can change a child's reality: Mithali Raj

Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj says sports can not just change a childs reality, but influence public support. ...

Other Sports :Mandhana focuses on winning for India, not rankings

Smriti Mandhana, the leading batswoman in ODIs, insists that she never thinks about being the number one batter and focuses on how she could contribute to the team and win matches for India. ...