Smriti Mandhana, India’s vice-captain and opener, remains one of the most reliable batters in world cricket and her practice sessions reflect that reliability with near-obsessive focus. Having tracked the team from Chandigarh, where they began their ODI series against Australia ahead of the World Cup campaign, it is clear that Mandhana’s daily routine is precise, almost ritualistic.
After the warm-up and fielding drills, Mandhana walks out to the nets with fellow opener Pratika Rawal. She usually carries two bats. The first 15–20 balls are always throwdowns, designed purely to get the feel of leather meeting willow. Once satisfied, she moves to the batting nets. Yesterday in Colombo, it was no different. After her opening round of throwdowns in the second net, Mandhana switched to the first net, where Radha Yadav and Renuka Singh were operating. Having negotiated one round of batting, Mandhana began stepping out, looking to dominate with her shots.
At one point, she had a quick word with bowling coach Avishkar Salvi and specifically asked for a net bowler, a young lad whose deliveries skidded hurriedly onto the bat. Mandhana danced down the track to him as well, cracking a clean shot past cover. Against Renuka, though, she had ample time, working the ball into gaps with complete ease, almost guiding it on her terms.
She may have been dismissed cheaply against Sri Lanka in India’s tournament opener, but the left-hander has clearly brushed that aside. The hunger for runs was evident in every stroke. With Pakistan up next, the stage is set for her to find her rhythm again before India run into the four big sides in succession, ending their group stage against Bangladesh. For India to challenge the heavyweights, Mandhana is the key cog, and she knows it. That sense of responsibility mirrors in her preparation.
After her net session and before the last burst of throwdowns, Mandhana was seen in a longish chat with head coach Amol Muzumdar. The two spoke intently by the sidelines, reflecting the importance of clarity in her approach ahead of a crucial run of matches.
As the old adage goes – practice makes perfect – and Mandhana seems to have mastered the art of practising hard. When the rest of the team wrapped up their nets, she returned for one last short burst of throwdowns with a specialist, insisting on that final bit of sharpness. Only then did the Indian southpaw call it a day, rejoining her teammates for a cool-down before heading back to the team hotel.
With mosquitoes buzzing and the Colombo heat draining every ounce of energy, watching Mandhana’s nets is as demanding for reporters as it is meticulous for her. But to see the single-minded commitment up close, it is worth every drop of sweat.
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