Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, the openers, have been praised by India Women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur for their ability to maintain consistency at the top of the order. Over the years, Smriti and Pratika have given many excellent beginnings at the top.
Since Pratika entered the ODI system, Harmanpreet acknowledged that it has been simpler for the batters to follow from No. 3 onwards to advance the game.
We have formed significant alliances ever since Pratika joined the group. In my opinion, it facilitates the subsequent batting order and allows us to predict the innings in advance. The pair has relieved us of a great deal of stress and made our work easy,” Harmanpreet said in an interview with JioStar.
Smriti compared Pratika to herself, emphasising how, in contrast to others, she has succeeded in the global arena after persevering in the local system.
“Pratika and I have a lot in common. On the pitch, we like to stick to our routines and avoid conversation. We play with a great deal of serenity. Pratika rose through the domestic system and is not a product of the Women’s Premier League. It is great that she has been able to match the calibre of international cricket in just the last eight months,” Smriti continued.
Smriti and Pratika recently reached a record-breaking average of 84.66 while scoring more than 1000 runs together in just 12 games. They accomplished the feat in July at the Rose Bowl in the opening ODI versus England Women.
India began their campaign with a 59-run victory at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, despite the fact that the pair did not play well together in the Women’s World Cup 2025 opening against Sri Lanka. The game was shortened to 47 overs each side, and the Women in Blue prevailed using the DLS system. On Sunday, October 5, they will play their next match against bitter rivals Pakistan.
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