Snehasis Mukherjee in Dubai
Team India’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE had many problems. One of the biggest was the poor form of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Fans had high hopes for her, as she is considered to be the best batter in the squad. But she scored only 75 runs in four innings, at an average of 18.75 and a strike-rate of 94.93.
Her only decent knock was a fifty. It was a tough campaign for the opener. Apart from her innings against Sri Lanka, she struggled in all other games. Before the tournament, India played two warm-up games. She failed in both, getting out to spinners. In the World Cup, she was dismissed by spinners three times and was run out once.
Struggle against spinners
Smriti’s struggle against spin, especially on slow, spin-friendly pitches, is a real concern. She is the kind of batter who likes the ball coming on the bat and that is known by now in world cricket. She looked unsure about the lines and lengths of the deliveries that got her out. There were no clear foot movements, and she got stuck in the crease, failing to use its depth to her advantage.
In contrast, New Zealand’s Sophie Devine showed positive intent against India, using her feet and coming down the track. Smriti can take a cue from that approach. Even the Australian batters, on the tricky, spin-friendly Sharjah pitch, handled India’s spinners well and scored 150-plus.
In her T20I career so far, Smriti has been dismissed 57 times by spinners and 60 times by pacers. But in the last two years, she has been dismissed 24 times by the spinners and only 11 times by the pacers in a total of 36 innings.
Lack of intent
Smriti also needs to work on her intent. Her quality as a batter is undeniable, but as an opener in T20s, more intensity is needed. In the shortest format, it is important to give a brisk start, and while Shafali Verma often plays the attacking role, that does not mean Smriti should not be aggressive.
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For instance, in the game against Australia, Shafali played a quick cameo before getting out. When Jemimah Rodrigues joined her, fans expected Smriti to take charge, as she was already settled. However, she did not show much intent, focusing more on taking singles and twos rather than pushing for boundaries or taking control of the game.
Strike rotation and strike rate
The 28-year-old finished the tournament with a strike-rate of less than 100, which is simply unacceptable. This year, she has scored 570 runs in 18 T20I innings at a strike-rate of 118.25 — slightly better than last year’s 116.39. However, from 2020 to 2022, her strike rate was consistently above 130.
One of her biggest issues has been playing too many dot balls early in her innings, especially during Powerplay overs. She has struggled to find gaps against spinners, making it difficult to rotate the strike regularly. Before the Sri Lanka game, Smriti admitted in a press conference that she was frustrated with her performance against Pakistan, particularly for playing so many dot balls, which led to a rash shot and her dismissal.
Not turning up on big occasions
Despite averaging 38.00 this year in T20Is, she has faltered when it mattered most. In recent key matches like the Commonwealth Games final, last year’s World Cup semi-final against Australia, and now against both New Zealand and Australia, she failed to deliver. Her only fifty came against Sri Lanka, a team that lost all their matches.
Even in the Asia Cup final, her fifty against Sri Lanka was in a losing cause. As India’s best batter, her failure to perform in big games is frustrating for fans who expect her to shine. Many die-hard fans travelled from India to watch her in action in the UAE. Smriti’s performances proved to be a let-down. The recurring pattern is a cause of concern.
After this disappointing World Cup campaign, India’s captaincy could be on the line, with a possibility that Smriti might take over from Harmanpreet Kaur. But is this the right time? A captain needs to lead from the front, performing consistently to inspire the team. It requires not only skill but also responsibility, hard work and courage.
The question is whether Smriti is ready for such a role. As a batter, she first needs to address her own struggles and work on them quickly before the opportunity slips away.
Also Read: Indian cricket’s UAE jinx continues with this Women’s T20 World Cup exit