Exclusive: 'Cricket is just not a sport for me, it is what I live for' - Smriti Mandhana opens up on her love for the game, rapport with Jemimah and much more

Following India's phenomenal run in the recently concluded ICC Women's T20 World Cup, women's cricket was looking at an unprecedented rise in popularity and craze. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have wiped out the entire sporting calendar. Sportspersons have been restricted to train indoors in a bid to keep themselves fit with absolutely no live sporting action happening, at the moment.

Ace Indian batswoman, Smriti Mandhana, in an exclusive interview with WION's Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, opened up on her love for batting, life in lockdown, rapport with Jemimah Rodrigues, bucket list as Red Bull athlete, experience in Women's T20 World Cup and more.

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Digvijay Singh Deo: Smriti, welcome to the show. I must start by asking you about the campaign I saw a few days ago the Team Mask Force. That campaign also had the who’s who of Indian cricket with Sachin, Sourav, Rahul joining the current team. It is also an indication of how much the stock of the Women’s team has risen in recent years to find you, Mithali and Harmanpreet there. Five years back this wasn’t possible.

Smriti: Yes, there has been a massive growth in women's cricket in the country, especially after the 2017 ODI World Cup. Regarding the campaign, I think it is necessary to motivate the citizens to do something to wear a mask in the current climate. I'm delighted to be part of such an initiative undertaken by the government.

I had no idea that legends of the game, like Sachin Tendulkar, would be a part of the campaign. So it's special to be involved in something like this. Five years ago, we probably wouldn't have been able to share any stage with our male counterparts, but it just shows how much the game has grown in India. Members of our team are recognizable faces and I think women's cricket in India is going through a good phase.

DSD: So talking of mask warriors how has this last one month been for you. What has the schedule been like? I did read that you are playing online Ludo with your teammates.

Smriti: After the T20 World Cup in March, we were supposed to take a two-week break after a long season, it was a very busy schedule in the previous six months. But who would have thought that the two-week break would extend into a full-fledged lockdown for months.I think now since we have been at home for a while, all of us have found different ways of entertaining ourselves. Ludo is something we enjoy playing because we can also talk to each other while the game is on. So it's also a good way to keep in touch with each other.

But the last ten days, Jemimah Rodrigues and I have been doing a show called 'double trouble', so that has kept me busy and it feels good to be finally doing something constructive during the lockdown. I was getting bored sitting at home and not being able to do much.

DSD: You share a great rapport with Jemima Rodrigues. Like you, she is another young prodigy who is finding her feet at the top level. What sort of camaraderie do you share and tell me a bit more about this show?

Smriti: Jemimah and I share a great bond. We didn't know each other before Jemimah came into the team about two years back, but we were roommates for the first 4 or 5 months and we really hit it off. We share a lot of memories, both on and off the pitch. So one day we were just reminiscing about the times we have spent together and thought it would be a good idea to make a fun show. I don't think we've had a show like this where active athletes discuss things in a candid manner. Since we keep troubling each other, we thought it would be apt to call the show 'double trouble'.

DSD: Through this lockdown period we have seen the greats of modern-day sport come up with challenges for their fans, be it Roger Federer or the 100-volley challenge by Andy Murray and Kim Sears. How important is it for you to engage with fans in these times?

Smriti:Yes, fans usually are only able to see one side of us athletes. But if we interact and engage with them through social media, they will be able to get a glimpse of how we spend time off the field. So hopefully with the show, we can entertain the fans with our stories and anecdotes than viewers can relate to. We will have fellow athletes as guests as well, so it should be something that everyone will enjoy.

DSD: Now you are a Red Bull athlete as well. One of the hallmarks of a Red Bull athlete is to constantly challenge the odds...So does Smriti Mandhana have a bucket list, cliff diving, jumping out of a plane, perhaps even off-roading.

Smriti: Unfortunately in our BCCI contracts, we have a clause which does not allow us to take part in any extreme sport. But there is a lot of work that red bull does with formula one. I would love to be part of any F1 event since I love motorsport. Red bull has a state of the art performance centre and so many top athletes across sports are associated with them. So even if I just get the opportunity to interact with any of the sportspersons, it would be a great learning experience for me. Till I'm playing cricket for India, I'm not sure if I'll be able to skydive from a plane.

DSD: I love the way you go about your cricket, you play fearlessly if the ball is there to be hit you hit it. Describe your mental approach to an innings.

Smriti: I like to keep things very simple. In the past when I've tried to overthink my strategy, it has never worked. So an over-analytical approach for the game has never helped me perform well. I treat every delivery with the merit it deserves and has enough confidence in my ability to deal with the challenge. The mental preparation for me is just to keep my eyes on the ball and play accordingly, that is when I feel best about my batting. If the day comes when I feel that this approach is not paying dividends, then I will tweak my preparation, but at the moment I am comfortable with my process and don't want to unnecessarily overthink it. If the ball is in the slot and meant to be hit, then I strike it. It's as simple as that.

DSD: The dramatic explosion of the coronavirus sort of made us forget the T20 World Cup very fast. Have you managed to overcome the hurt of falling at the final hurdle?

Smriti:The final loss really hurt us a lot as a team. Especially because it was a huge match and we lost the chance of picking up a trophy. But now I have tried to move on from that defeat. I have to look at it from the perspective of a learning experience. Over the last few years, we have lost a few big matches, including the 2017 world cup final. But you cannot dwell on the past, Imust look towards the future in figure out ways in which I can improve and help the team. So my goal is to improve aspects of my game and be ready for the next tournament.

DSD: What does a loss like this teach a team, the good teams always rebound from tough defeats. Pankaj Advani our 23-time World Champion said something very pertinent to me some time back that sport gives you second chances, life as we are seeing right now does not.

Smriti:Failure is a better teacher than success. You can learn more from a bad patch of form than a big score. After the final, none of us spoke much to each other, all of us were dealing with the disappointment in our own space. As a team, the defeat especially hurt because we weren't able to put up a fight. So hopefully we can learn from the match, and go one better in a world cup final next time.

DSD: What we are seeing with the women’s team though is the emergence of a young bunch of players who hopefully will be together for a long time. Is that the missing piece of the jigsaw Smriti; the nucleus is there, we just have to be patient.

Smriti:Our average age is just 23 and that is something to be proud of. I think we were one of the youngest teams in the tournament and our performances throughout the campaign, barring the final, were excellent. I think if these teams sticks together for the next 3-4 years, the sky is the limit for us. The talent is definitely present and if we are able to work hard and learn from our mistakes, then we will undoubtedly win major tournaments.

DSD: Now one thing a lot of us were looking forward to was the Women’s T20 Challenge on the sidelines of the IPL. Sadly, the IPL has been indefinitely postponed but this must have been fun of playing a televised tournament alongside the IPL.

Smriti: We had a two-team challenge tournament in 2018, and last year it increased to three teams. The final last year in Jaipur drew a packed crowd, so the game is moving the right direction. This year I was really excited because the tournament was supposed to be a four-team affair, but unfortunately, it can't take place. I think we are not yet ready for an eight-team Women's IPL, but there is potential for a 4-6 team to participate in an event. I'm confident that whenever we reach that stage of hosting a Women's IPL, it is going to be a huge push for women's cricket in India. It will also help our team to prepare for big events like the world cup. I'm sure the BCCI has a long term plan in mind for the Women's IPL and they won't be rushed into a decision.

DSD: What has been the most important cricketing advice that was given to you by someone you look up to.

Smriti: After the 2017 ODI World Cup, I had a bad run of 17 matches where I didn't score big runs. I was obviously worried about my form and was a bit hassled. At that time, my parents reminded me of the time when I used to play cricket purely for the joy of the game when I was a kid. They told me to think about that time and try to ignore all the external pressures of being an international cricketer. I think enjoying the game is very important and I have tried to do that over the past few years, regardless of my performance. That piece of advice has taken a bit of the burden of my shoulders and given me a bit more freedom. There was a time I could not walk for three months because of an injury, so I cherish the fact that I am able to play cricket for a living.

DSD: I want to end this interview on an optimistic note so what is the one thing you want to do when this lockdown ends?

Smriti:Batting. It is something that gives me a lot of joy. It's just not a sport for me, it is what I live for. The feeling I get when I strike a ball sweetly is like no other. Nothing else can give me the feeling of holding the bat and walking out to play. So that's the first thing I would like to do once this crisis dies down. But I realise the gravity of the prevailing situation and I hope we can overcome this pandemic as soon as possible.