Indian women’s team vice captain Smriti Mandhana will remain unavailable for selection in the side’s T20 World Cup opener against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday. The 26-year-old is still recuperating from an injury she sustained during a warm up game. The opener had injured her left-hand middle finger during the practice match against Australia on Monday. The left-hander came at number three instead of opening like usual. Mandhana’s absence comes as blow to India as the southpaw has been a star performer for India for quite some time, and her giving good start at the top is always crucial for India’s chance to win.
Mandhana has been in prolific form over the years and has been a mainstay of the India batting. In the 2020 ICC T20 Women’s World Cup, Mandhana ended being the highest run-scorer for the Indian side. The opener scored 235 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 46 with an exploding strike rate of 138. Her highest score at the marquee event was 83 not out.
A year later at the 2022 edition of the same event, the 26-year-old was one of the most consistent performers for India. She managed 228 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 144 with a healthy average of 38. It’s her ability of scoring quickly runs, especially in Powerplay, that has helped India over the years to be a force to reckon with at the international level.
While in Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues India have options of replacing Mandhana, but her experience and consistency is something India would be looking to plug the hole at. Coming to the middle-order, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is also dealing with fitness issues. Kaur suffered a shoulder-injury during the recent tri-series against South Africa last week.
“Body is fine. It will get better with rest,” said Kaur after the tri-series final.
The ‘Women in Blue’ are clubbed alongside England, Pakistan, West Indies and Ireland in Group B.
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