Abhishek Nayar identifies Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and bowlers as key to India’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign

Abhishek Nayar believes Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Kranti Goud and Shree Charani will play pivotal roles in India’s bid for a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title. He highlighted Mandhana’s batting prowess and the bowlers’ importance in English conditions.

New Delhi: As India chase a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title in England, much of the spotlight will naturally fall on established stars. But Abhishek Nayar believes that India’s campaign could hinge on a combination of proven match-winners like Smriti Mandhana and emerging performers who are capable of shaping games across different phases.

For years, Mandhana has been the face of India’s batting unit across formats, combining elegance with remarkable consistency. Nayar believes her ability to score all around the ground makes her one of the most difficult players in the world to contain.

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“In any tournament, the opposition’s biggest worry is how to dismiss Smriti Mandhana. If they don’t, she can hurt them badly. And she does it in many ways. She is one of the few batters who can hit different areas with tactical precision. She plays square of the wicket on both sides. She can hit straight down the ground. She uses her feet well against spinners, walks across, and plays them behind square.

“Her variety in terms of the shots that she plays and the range of areas she can access make her dangerous. With only four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle in women’s cricket, Smriti has the freedom to keep finding gaps and rotating the strike. The longer she bats, the harder she becomes to bowl to. Once she is set, she hurts the opposition when it matters most. That is why she is so important for India,” Nayar told JioStar.

While India’s batting strength is well documented, Nayar believes the team’s success will depend just as much on how effectively it exploits English conditions with the ball, particularly during the powerplay and middle overs.

“I have a clear set of players in mind who I think will be crucial for India in this T20 World Cup. The first is Kranti Goud. She will bowl with the new ball. In England, the ball will swing and seam early on, so making the most of the powerplay is vital. Kranti’s role with the new ball is critical. Next is Shree Charani. She is a very important part of the bowling attack. Many teams rate her highly. She takes wickets in the middle overs and keeps the run rate down. These two bowlers add great value to the team,” he stated.

With early movement likely to assist seamers and larger grounds rewarding disciplined spin, Nayar sees both bowlers playing defining roles in controlling games before India’s batting depth takes over.

At the top of the order, however, he singled out Shafali Verma’s aggressive approach as a crucial ingredient. A quick start from the explosive opener, in Nayar’s view, could create the ideal platform for one of the most feared batters in women’s cricket to dictate the contest. That batter, unsurprisingly, is Smriti Mandhana.

“Everyone else is important too, but when it comes to powerplay batting, Shafali Verma needs to fire. She has to go hard so that Smriti Mandhana can take her time to settle in and then take charge later. So, I believe these three – Kranti, Shree Charani, and Shafali – are the ones India will be relying on. They need to start the tournament in good form,” he mentioned.