Smriti Mandhana made her debut in international cricket on July 24, 2005, when India played against England at Nottingham. The Indian team was not having a good day and was bowled out cheaply by English pace bowler Anisa Mohammed who took seven wickets in the match. Smriti Mandhana did not impress with the bat, but she scored eight runs in her innings, which included two fours.
After watching her brother play under-16 tournaments in Maharashtra, Mandhana, then just a young girl, got the idea to try her hand at cricket. She immediately got to work on that idea, which soon made it to the Under-15 (and later the Under-19) teams in her state.
The batswoman received a practice bat from batting legend Rahul Dravid, and she later used it to score a double century for her state in a one-day game. She was also the first Indian woman to score a double ton in one-day cricket, scoring 224 runs off 150 deliveries.
In April 2013, Mandhana made her international debut against Bangladesh in a Twenty20 International, and five days later, she made her ODI debut.
She scored her first ODI ton in her second match, a 102 against Australia in Hobart.
When she signed with the Brisbane Heat for the 2016/17 season, the left-handed pitcher made her WBBL debut. The Hobart Hurricanes later acquired Mandhana for the 2018-19 season.
Mandhana was named the best female cricketer of the year and the ODI player in December 2018. Some insights of her life as per BCCI latest news about domestic cricket are:
Early life
Smriti was born in Mumbai, India, on November 7, 1988. Her father worked as an engineer for the Indian Air Force, and her mother was a homemaker. She started playing cricket with her brothers and friends when she was six. By the time she reached the age of 12, she had already made the Maharashtra state junior team. In 2005, she became the captain of the Under-19 girls’ team. In 2007, she led her college side to victory at the all-India intercollegiate women’s championship. At this point in her career, it became evident that Smriti could play many different roles simultaneously due to her ability as a batter and off-spin bowler.
Junior career
Smriti Mandhana is an allrounder who can bat, bowl and field. She has been playing cricket since she was five years old, and her first major tournament was the 2013 U-19 world cup in the West Indies, and she captained the Indian team in that tournament. In 2014, she was awarded the Arjuna award for excellence in sports by President Pranab Mukherjee, and it is India’s highest sporting honour.
Smriti also led her school cricket team, HR College, to victory in the National School Cricket Championship in Kolkata in 2015.
In 2016, she became the second woman cricketer after Mithali Raj to be picked up by England Women’s County Team – Surrey Women.
U-19 and national team debut
In 2006, she was selected for the U-19 national team and appointed as captain in 2007. She has been an integral member of the India women’s cricket team for over a decade and has made her mark as one of the best allrounders in world cricket. Her contribution to Indian cricket can be seen in her 51 wickets across all three formats.
She also holds the record for being the youngest player (aged 16 years) to play ODIs and T20I matches for India. With Smriti Mandhana around, Indian cricket is sure to keep soaring high!
Emerging as an allrounder in women’s cricket
Manthan was born in Maharashtra, India. She is the first Indian woman cricketer to be a part of the national squad for four consecutive years. She is also the leading wicket-keeper for India in women’s ODIs and the second-highest run scorer in Women’s T20 Internationals. As an allrounder, she has recorded five centuries and 33 fifties from 148 ODIs, including three against England during India’s tour of England in July 2018. In September 2016, she became the first woman cricketer to score over 4,000 runs and take 100 catches in ODI cricket.
Injury layoff and comeback
Smriti’s comeback was one of the most inspirational stories in Indian cricket. After being out for more than eight months with an ankle injury, she returned with a lot of hard work and determination. She made her comeback on India’s T20I tour to South Africa in October 2018 and played her first international game in two years. And what an eventful match it turned out to be. It all began when she got hit by a bouncer from West Indies fast bowler Oshane Thomas. It ended with Smriti delivering the winning strike for India in their nail-biting chase of 160 runs against South Africa Women in Durban.
Emerging as a superstar of women’s cricket
Smriti is an Indian woman cricketer and the Indian women’s team captain. She has inspired many young girls in India, who are now following in her footsteps and joining the sport. She was first noticed by former cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad, who spotted her playing in a state-level match. He then recommended her to the state coach, who saw potential in her and selected her for training at the National Cricket Academy. With hard work and dedication, she not only made it to the national level but also became a leading player. Her natural flair for batting helped her play as an opener with excellence.
She played for the Railways cricket team from 2006 to 2013 before switching over to Western Suburbs Cricket Club in Sydney Women’s Premier League (SWPL), where she served as captain and vice-captain before becoming club president September 17, 2017.
Conclusion:
Our nation has a large population of cricket enthusiasts. India has always favoured playing cricket, and this playground rarely offers the same adrenaline rush. It is important to note that, in addition to the men’s cricket team, the women’s team is receiving a lot of support these days. Because of their improved performance, the women’s cricket team’s players earned a place in the audience’s hearts. Wormsley Park was the venue for Mandhana’s first test match against England. He scored 22 and 51 runs in the first and second innings, respectively, to help his team win the game. Mandhana scored her first international century in the second ODI of India’s tour of Australia in 2016 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart (102 runs in 109 balls).In 2016, Smriti was the only Indian woman athlete selected for the ICC women’s team.