The vice-captain of Indian Women’s Cricket team, Smriti Mandhana is of the opinion that women cricketers have a separate identity now and it is something which they have recently garnered after there have been several broadcasters showing the women’s game in the recent years.
She is currently the leader of the Trailblazers squad, a team who is currently fighting it out in a 4 match Women’s T20 League. The young 22-year-old batswoman feels that it is only the on-field performances which define her and not gender.
Now there is certainly no doubt about the fact that Smriti Mandhana is one of the leading women’s cricketer not only in India but all across the globe.
“I no longer see myself as a woman cricketer but simply as a cricketer. Why should there be labels when none are required,” Smriti Mandhana stated. Mandhana was just 9 years old when he broke into the Maharashtra U-15 state side as per reports in the IANS.
She feels that the secret behind her success is rising above the gender-based social conditioning and chasing her dreams without comprising on any aspects.
“It can get taxing when you don’t have to simply perform but also constantly justify your place in the game just because of your gender. It would get frustrating when my male counterparts were questioned about their game or performance whereas I was fielding questions on gender stereotypes and my ability to stay committed to the game on account of my gender,” Smriti Mandhana revealed.
She is one of the finest openers in Indian Women’s cricket ever and has been the leading run scorer for them in 2018. She has scored 669 runs in 12 matches. She was also awarded the BCCI Best Women’s International Cricketer of the Year in 2018. Mandhana who has taken giant strides in international cricket recalled the initial steps she took which helped her reach the position she has reached today.
“I used to wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning, wait for my brother’s cricket coaching practices to finish just so I could play the 10-15 balls pitched to me at the end.
“That used to be the highlight of my day and as soon as I would finish my 15 balls, I would start thinking about how I had to better myself for the next day’s 15 balls,” added Smriti Mandhana, now a household name, along with Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur.
“It is an honour for me to be able to represent my country on an international platform. Apart from that, the adrenaline is so high when we are on the ground. It also helps that usually, everyone who is a part of the team is away from home, so we become each other’s emotional crutches when needed,” she added.