Smriti Mandhana keeps India's T20 World Cup preparation plans under wraps
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday avoided revealing too much about the Indian women's team's preparations for next month's T20 World Cup, but said the squad is in good condition ahead of the 12-team event.
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday kept the details of the women's team's T20 World Cup preparations under wraps, saying only that the squad is in good shape ahead of next month's 12-team tournament in England and Wales.
India will open their campaign against Pakistan on June 14, two days after the tournament begins on June 12. Before that, the 15-member squad, which recently trained at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, will leave for England on May 22 for a three-match T20I series against the hosts.
Mandhana said the team had no interest in revealing too much about its preparations this close to a World Cup. "The camp has gone well and I would like to keep it at that. I would not like to say any specifics of what we have worked on because we are heading to a World Cup," she said at a press conference organised by feminine care brand Pee Safe.
What she did make clear, however, was that the squad had put in the hard yards. "All the girls are looking in good shape, they have been practising really well and a lot of hard work has gone behind it," she said. "We are prepping for the World Cup and we will leave for a series before it. The preparations have been going well and I hope that we keep working hard, make India proud and bring the cup back home."
Mandhana also interacted with school-going children during the event and said such engagements matter because youngsters should know that sport can offer a career path. "The questions they ask at that age, I would not have known what they are asking. They really want to know what we go through, which is extremely nice," she said.
She added that the message she tries to give children is simple: cricket and sport can become a profession, but the process has to be enjoyed. "For me, it's very important to give them a message, firstly, that sports and cricket have a career and you can actually make a career out of it. The other important thing for me, which I try and tell, is to enjoy the process and what they do. I just really want all the kids to enjoy and follow their passion," she added.