India Women's skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has commended openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal for providing stability at the top of the order. Smriti and Pratika have provided numerous good starts up top over time.
Harmanpreet admitted that the batters to follow from No. 3 onwards have found it easier to take the game forward ever since Pratika has made her entry into the ODI setup.
“Since the time Pratika joined the team, we have had big partnerships. I think it helps the batting order that follows,
and we can calculate the innings ahead. The duo has taken a lot of pressure off us and made our job easier," stated Harmanpreet during a conversation with JioStar.
Smriti likened Pratika to herself, also highlighting how unlike others, the latter has made it to the international arena after grinding it out in the domestic framework.
"Pratika and I are very similar. We like to do our routines and don’t talk much on the field. There’s a lot of calmness in the way we play. Pratika is not a product of the Women's Premier League but has come up through the domestic setup. For her to have matched the level of international cricket in just the previous eight months is commendable,” Smriti added.
Recently, Smriti and Pratika had completed 1000-plus runs as a pair in just 12 matches at a record-breaking average of 84.66. They attained the feat during the first ODI against England Women at the Rose Bowl in July.
Despite the duo not clicking as a unit in the Women's World Cup 2025 opener against Sri Lanka, India secured a 59-run at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati to start their campaign on a bright note. The Women in Blue won via the DLS method after the match was reduced to a 47-overs-a-side contest. They will next take on arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, October 5.
