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For the longest time, India have come very close to lifting that coveted Women’s World Cup trophy only to fall flat at the last minute. It happened in 2017, and later repeated itself in 2020 when they lost one-sided in the T20 World Cup final in Australia against Australia.
But the monkey was finally off the back, with the Women in Blue finally breaking the drought, lifting the ODI World Cup at home in front of a jam-packed crowd at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. A vital component of that setup, Smriti Mandhana, opened up on the win, stating that the trophy was a reward for the battle they have fought over the years.
“This World Cup was the reward for the battle we fought over the years. We were waiting for it so badly. I’ve been playing for more than 12 years — many times things didn’t go our way. We visualised it before the final, and when we finally saw it on the screen, it gave us goosebumps. It was an incredible, special moment,” Mandhana said at the Amazon Sambhav Summit, reported The Indian Express.
“I don’t think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing that Indian jersey is the motivation that drives us. You keep all your problems aside, and that thought alone helps you focus on life,” she added.
Mandhana also revealed that the madness has always been there, and she’s always wanted to be called a ‘world champion’.
“As a kid, the madness for batting was always there. No one understood it, but in my mind, I always wanted to be called a world champion,” she added.
“You always start an innings at zero, no matter if you scored a hundred before. And don’t play for yourself – that’s what we kept reminding each other,” she said.
The 29-year-old was a massive part of India’s World Cup success, with the left-hander smashing 434 runs, averaging 54.25 with a strike rate of 99.08, with one hundred and two fifties. In the aftermath of the win, the seniors in the setup – Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma – all dedicated the trophies to the legends such as Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami.
“We really wanted to do it for them, badly. Seeing tears in their eyes made it feel like women’s cricket itself was winning. It was a battle won for all of them,” she said.