Mandhana: England T20 Series Key to India's Women's T20 World Cup Preparations

The Indian women's cricket team is gearing up for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England, viewing it as vital preparation for the T20 World Cup to be held in England next year. With the series commencing on June 28th, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana emphasized the significance of acclimatizing to the English conditions.

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

"With the T20 World Cup around the corner, these five T20s will provide an excellent opportunity for the girls to familiarize themselves with the conditions," Mandhana stated. "The series offers a substantial amount of cricket in conditions mirroring those of the World Cup, allowing us to fine-tune our strategies."

Mandhana addressed concerns regarding captain Harmanpreet Kaur's absence from the pre-match press conference, clarifying that she was only unwell and expected to participate in the matches. "She is just unwell for today, so I'm just here filling up for today," she explained.

The Indian team has undergone extensive preparations for the white-ball series against England, including both T20Is and ODIs. Several players, including Kranti Gaud and Sree Charani, are experiencing their first tour of England. The team arrived a week early to adapt to the environment. Mandhana expressed satisfaction with the preparations.

"We've had a solid 25 days of preparation, including specialized batting and bowling camps at the NCA in Bangalore, specifically tailored for this tour," Mandhana said. "Arriving early in England allowed us eight days of focused preparation and practice matches, crucial for players experiencing English conditions for the first time."

Recognizing the dynamic nature of the T20 format, Mandhana acknowledged the continuous need for improvement among batters, given the tactical strategies employed by opposing teams. "In T20 cricket, there's always room for improvement," Mandhana noted. "It's a format where you must constantly adapt and evolve because other teams are consistently analyzing and strategizing against your batting style."

Despite the importance of strategic planning, Mandhana emphasized the importance of focusing on each delivery. "There are game plans and goals for me as an individual, but cricket is all about one ball at a time, so I'll take it as that," she said.

India's pace attack will be spearheaded by Arundathi Reddy, with Amanjot Kaur, Gaud, and Sayali Satghare sharing the workload. Renuka Singh Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar and Titas Sadhu are sidelined due to injury. Mandhana expressed her excitement about the young pace bowlers showcasing their domestic experience on the international stage.

"[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."

"[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," she concluded.