India’s women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur is singing praises for her openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal. She says their strong partnerships at the top of the order have taken a huge load off the middle batsmen, making games easier to navigate.
Smriti Mandhana has been on fire in recent matches, teaming up with Pratika Rawal to form a solid opening duo for the India women’s cricket team. Even though they struggled a bit in the season opener—a 59-run victory over Sri Lanka—they’re tipped to come back stronger in upcoming games.
“Ever since Pratika joined the side, we’ve seen some massive opening partnerships,” Harmanpreet told JioStar. “It really helps the rest of the batting lineup plan ahead and builds confidence. They’ve eased so much pressure on us.”
Smriti, who serves as India’s vice-captain, also gave a shoutout to Pratika for quickly adapting to the demands of international cricket. “Pratika and I are a lot alike,” Smriti said. “We stick to our routines and keep things quiet on the field. Our calm approach just clicks.”
She highlighted Pratika’s journey too: “Pratika didn’t come through the Women’s Premier League (WPL). She rose from the domestic circuit, and in just eight months, she’s matched the intensity of global cricket. That’s impressive.”
In that first match at Guwahati’s ACA-VDCA Stadium, India found themselves at 124 for 6. But Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur fought back with a gritty 103-run partnership, pushing the total to 269 in 47 overs after rain shortened the game by three. The bowlers then wrapped up Sri Lanka for 211 to seal the win.
Now, Harmanpreet Kaur’s India team gears up for a blockbuster clash against rivals Pakistan at Colombo’s R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Fans can’t wait to see if the opening pair sparks into action.
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