Smriti Mandhana Will Lead Indian Team At Some Point, We Look At Her As A Leader: India Women’s Team Coach Ramesh Powar

India Women’s Team Coach Ramesh Powar has said that the team management looks at Smriti Mandhana as a leader of the team and it is a matter of time when she becomes the captain of the side in the future.

Mandhana was head and shoulders above all her batting colleagues during an otherwise disappointing series against Australia which India lost 5-11 on a multiple-format point count. Mandhana had an amazing tour of Australia as she slammed her maiden Test century- 127 in the one-off day-night match. Earlier she had made 52 in the third T20-International and then smashed 86 in one of the one-day international matches.

“We are looking at her as a leader. At some point, she will lead,” Powar said, praising the T20 vice-captain.

Smriti Mandhana Inspire A Lot Of Young Players: Ramesh Powar

Powar, who took over as coach in his second stint with the Indian women’s team, said that one of the major reasons for looking at the 25-year-old Mandhana as a future captain is the fact that she is an inspiration for the younger players in this team.

He also said that Mandhana, who hails from Maharashtra, has finally shown the consistency that he was expecting from her in the past and it is a sign of good things that can be expected in the future.

She inspires a lot of younger players in the team. Obviously, we will rate her highly. The way she batted in Test was amazing, especially under lights. We knew she would come well. One season (of consistency), she will be a different player. She gets lots of game time playing in leagues across the world. And it become an advantage as in India you don’t get so much of game time,” Powar was quoted by New Indian Express.

Mandhana, who made her India debut in 2013, has 325 runs in 4 Tests with one century. She has 2377 runs in 62 ODIs with 4 centuries and 19 half-centuries at an average of 41.70. She also has 1971 runs in 84 T20Is with a best of 86 and 14 half-centuries to her name at a strike rate of 120.84.

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