Shubman Gill has praised Smriti Mandhana’s batting style, comparing her elegance to that of former Australian star Damien Martyn. The India opener highlighted Mandhana’s “lazy elegance” and flawless technique, which he believes helps her shine even under pressure. Mandhana, who is gearing up for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, recently etched her name in history by becoming the fastest Indian woman to score an ODI century.
She achieved the milestone in just 50 balls against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Despite India losing the series 1-2, Mandhana was named Player of the Series, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 300 runs, including two centuries. She also set a new benchmark by scoring the most Women’s ODI runs by an Indian in a single calendar year.
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Speaking on the BCCI Women’s channel, Shubman Gill said: “It is kind of Damien Martyn, how she plays. She has that slow, lazy elegance. Technique is something that gets you through tough phases. When you are under pressure, it helps you.”
Smriti Mandhana’s technique and elegance has Shubman Gill shower praises on her ❤️
Catch her at #CWC25 LIVE from September 30 on @StarSportsIndia and @JioHotstar
Get your #CWC25 Tickets Now 👉 https://t.co/vGzkkgwpDw@mandhana_smriti | @ShubmanGill | #TeamIndia | #WomenInBlue pic.twitter.com/I7vED5KCIg
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 25, 2025
Shubman Gill, who is currently part of India’s Asia Cup squad in the UAE, refrained from offering any advice to Mandhana. Instead, he encouraged her to keep batting the way she has been. “I actually would not give her any advice and tell her to be herself and keep doing what she is doing,” he added.
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Mandhana missed India’s warm-up match against England in Bengaluru, raising questions about her availability for Saturday’s game against New Zealand, led by Sophie Devine. India’s Women’s World Cup campaign kicks off on September 30 against Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
Meanwhile, Gill himself is looking to regain form, having scored 111 runs from five Asia Cup games, with crucial fixtures against Sri Lanka and Pakistan coming up.
