Star Indian women cricketer Smriti Mandhana has named Virat Kohli as her outright favourite batsman amongst the ones who have represented the Indian men’s team. As the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup starts in the UAE on October 3, Mandhana reminisces about the enriching lesson she learned from Kohli.
An extremely important player for the Women in Blue, Mandhana can anchor innings and, when needed, accelerate the scoring. She says the mental approach and batting technique of Kohli have been quite influential on her game. In a video shared by Star Sports on X, Mandhana spoke candidly about the interactions with Kohli.
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“Virat Kohli is my favourite. I have asked a lot of questions on batting to him, particularly his mindset and how he copes with things like changes of grip. Often, I find that my grip has shifted slightly after each tour, so was keen to hear from him. His take on expectation and the way to keep one’s focus indeed has been quite enlightening,” says Smriti Mandhana.
18 🤝🏻 18#TeamIndia women’s star batter @mandhana_smriti shares her admiration for KING KOHLI as she tags him as her favourite cricketer! 🙌🏻
Watch her 👉🏻 #WomensWorldCupOnStar | INDW v NZW | 4th OCT 7.30 PM onwards only on Star Sports Network pic.twitter.com/ivEgFYQZnK
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 9, 2024
While Mandhana represents the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women’s Premier League, Kohli represents the same team in the Indian Premier League. Both figures have been a source of inspiration for many cricket lovers worldwide.
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Smriti Mandhana also talked about Kohli’s way of dealing with the burden of high expectations. “He mentioned that he doesn’t see these expectations as a burden. He instead mentions what the team requires. At times, to hear it from him has helped me in having a better approach towards my game,” she further said.
While Mandhana gears up for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Kohli will be in action for the Indian Test team when they take on Bangladesh in a two-match series starting September 19.
