Smriti Mandhana rediscovered her touch in the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka, responding in style after a quiet start to the series. The India opener played a composed yet commanding knock of 80 in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, anchoring the innings with authority.
She began cautiously, assessing the conditions and the bowling, before shifting gears once set. Mandhana’s timing and placement stood out as she found the gaps with ease, striking 11 fours and three sixes.
It was India’s first series after the ODI World Cup triumph, and Mandhana admitted the shift from the 50-over format to T20Is wasn’t easy for her. The adjustment showed in the first three matches, where she managed scores of 25, 14 and 1.
“Yeah, it felt really good. We’ve played a lot of one-day cricket over the last six months, so the first three matches were a bit tricky in terms of getting back into T20 mode. Mentally, it’s a different space after so much ODI cricket,” Mandhana said in the post-match presentation.
After a timely return to form, Mandhana reflected on her lean patch and the adjustments she made, stressing that the struggle was more personal than tactical and rooted in execution rather than preparation.
“Not really, I think it was more about me than them (if Sri Lanka did anything differently today). I had plans against their bowling, I knew what to expect, but in the first few games I probably gave my wicket away trying to execute shots I’d been practicing. I came here early and worked on a few things, but no matter how much you train, doing it out in the middle is always different,” she added after being named Player of the Match.
Mandhana (80) and Shafali Verma (79) tore into the Sri Lankan attack to script history, driving India to a record 221 for two, their highest total in women’s T20Is. The opening pair stitched together a blistering 162-run partnership in just 15.2 overs, now the highest stand for any wicket for India in the format.
“Batting with Shafali always a treat for the eyes”
Mandhana lauded Shafali’s impact at the top, highlighting how their contrasting styles and growing understanding helped them settle early and build a dominant opening partnership.
“Batting with Shafali is always a treat for the eyes. The way she started, she made my job a lot easier. I could take my time, rotate strike, and get into rhythm while she did most of the heavy hitting early on. We complement each other really well – we understand whose day it is and play accordingly. And I’m really happy with how much she’s matured with her batting,” she said.
Mandhana spoke about the shift in India’s team culture over the past year, stressing the emphasis on unity and shared joy, as she recalled the special moment of a debutant’s first big contribution in national colours.
“In the last one year there’s a different team building that has happened, everyone celebrates each other’s success. It’s a conscious effort – to be there for one another whether things are going great or not so great. When she (Kamalini) took that catch, we were all thrilled because it was her first time out there in an India jersey,” she concluded.