England T20Is: Key World Cup Prep for India Women, Says Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, believes the upcoming five-match T20I series against England will provide excellent preparation for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in England next year. The series is set to commence on June 28th (Saturday).

Smriti Mandhana addresses the media in place of Harmanpreet Kaur © Getty

Mandhana emphasized the significance of the series, stating, "I think because we have a T20 World Cup next year around the same time... so I'm sure these five T20s will be a good prep for a lot of the girls and for us to also see the conditions." She further added that the series offers ample opportunity to acclimatize to the English conditions ahead of the major tournament.

She also addressed concerns about Harmanpreet Kaur's absence from the pre-match press conference due to illness. Mandhana clarified that Kaur was only unwell for the day and her participation in the match was not ruled out. "I don't think she's not playing, she's just unwell for today, so I'm just here filling up for today," she explained.

The Indian team has been preparing for the England tour for nearly a month, encompassing both the T20I series and the subsequent three ODIs. A number of players are touring England for the first time, the team arrived a week early to fine-tune their preparations. Mandhana expressed satisfaction with the team's preparation, deeming it ideal.

"It's been a good 25 days of prep, we had batters and bowlers camp at Bangalore at NCA and that was also very targeted and specific, keeping in mind this tour," Mandhana noted. She highlighted the importance of early acclimatization for players unfamiliar with English conditions.

Mandhana acknowledged the dynamic nature of the T20 format and the continuous need for batters to evolve. "I think [in the] T20 game for me, there's a lot of things which I always feel like there's a lot of scope of improvement for... it's a format which you have to keep improvising," she stated.

Despite individual goals and game plans, Mandhana maintained a grounded approach, emphasizing the importance of focusing on each ball.

India's pace bowling attack will be spearheaded by Arundathi Reddy, with Amanjot Kaur, Kranti Gaud, and Sayali Satghare sharing the workload. Mandhana expressed her excitement about seeing the young pace bowlers showcase their domestic experience on the international stage. She said the WPL and domestic system has been good in terms of finding new talents.

Mandhana concluded by highlighting the extensive domestic experience of the young players and the favorable conditions England offers for pacers.