Mandhana: England T20I Series Vital for India's Women's T20 World Cup Prep

Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, has emphasized the significance of the upcoming five-match T20I series against England as crucial preparation for the T20 World Cup next year.

The series, which starts on June 28th, will provide the Indian team with an invaluable opportunity to acclimatize to English conditions.

Mandhana spoke in Harmanpreet Kaur's absence due to illness © Getty

Mandhana stated: "I think because we have a T20 World Cup next year around the same time, around the summer of UK, which is again similar conditions, so I'm sure this five T20s will be a good prep for a lot of the girls and for us to also see to the conditions and how they all suit their game too. I think also five T20s is a good amount of cricket in the same conditions just one year before the World Cup."

She also addressed the absence of captain Harmanpreet Kaur from the pre-match press conference, clarifying that Kaur was unwell but expected to participate in the matches. "I don't think she's not playing, she's just unwell for today, so I'm just here filling up for today," Mandhana said.

Extensive Preparation for England Tour

The Indian team has undergone nearly a month of intensive preparation for the England tour, encompassing both the T20I series and the subsequent three-match ODI series. Recognizing that several players, including Kranti Gaud and Sree Charani, are touring England for the first time, the team arrived a week early to fine-tune their strategies and adjust to the unfamiliar environment.

Mandhana commented on the team's preparation: "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. Of course, we came a little earlier here, good eight days of prep, a few good practice matches... we got to know a lot of things about the England conditions, especially [for] a lot of girls, it's their first England tour so it was important for them to come here early and get used to the conditions."

Constant Improvement is Key in T20 Cricket

Acknowledging the dynamic nature of T20 cricket, Mandhana emphasized the need for continuous improvement and adaptation. She highlighted the importance of batters evolving their game in response to opposition strategies.

"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. And not only me, I mean, most of the batters, it's a format which you have to keep improvising and keep improving because the other teams keep getting you, keep planning against the way you bat," she noted.

Despite the focus on strategic planning, Mandhana reiterated the importance of focusing on the present. "Of course, coming here, there are a lot of game plans and goals for me as an individual, but yeah, I mean, cricket is all about one ball at a time, so I'll take it as that," she said.

Exciting New Pace Bowling Unit

With injuries sidelining key players like Renuka Singh Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, and Titas Sadhu, Arundathi Reddy will spearhead India's pace attack. She will be supported by Amanjot Kaur, Gaud, and Sayali Satghare. Mandhana expressed her excitement about the opportunity for young, talented pace bowlers to showcase their skills on the international stage.

Mandhana said: "[We have] ...A new look pace-bowling unit because unfortunately, there are a few injuries which had happened over the last four to five months, but really exciting, I mean [the] WPL has been good in terms of finding new people and of course, the domestic system as well."

She further added: "[With] The amount of matches the girls play nowadays, so all these girls have a rich experience in the domestic format, so I'm really excited to see them. Young talent whenever they come in, it's always very exciting, everyone's been prepping up well, trying to do everything right and what better place than England to come to as a pacer."