How Smriti Mandhana stopped doubting and started believing in herself as RCB completed title quest | Cricket News
Smriti Mandhana was asked after Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for the playoffs of Women’s Premier League, what her biggest learnings from the two contrasting seasons were. She took a moment, smiled, and said: “I’ll think a lot more deep about this when we finish the tournament.” She did go on to speak more about her struggles last year, mainly with the bat. “In four-five years of international cricket something of that sort hadn’t happened and for me to face that was something which changed me a lot. I don’t know what has changed but something deep inside me has definitely.”A few days later, Smriti Mandhana returned to the press conference room. This time, the trophy was next to her as she became the first RCB captain to lift silverware. Ee sala, the cup was finally theirs. And Mandhana, as promised, opened up a bit more. What changed, after all?
“One thing I’ve learned is to believe in myself. I thought that was something that I lacked. Last year, for example, if something went wrong, I would doubt myself,” Mandhana said after RCB defeated Delhi Capitals for a famous triumph. “That was a real conversation internally that I need to keep trusting myself. That was the biggest learning for me.”
Red & Gold, now with some extra gold 🥹#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #SheIsBold #WPL2024 pic.twitter.com/RESAap0mm6
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 18, 2024
It shined through on the night as RCB turned things around after a rough start. Delhi were flying in the powerplay, driven The Shafali Verma Show. They raced to 61/0 after the powerplay and a strong batting lineup looked set for a big score. But RCB regathered and opted for the strategic timeout. Mandhana’s face didn’t betray any frustration as she walked into a team huddle.
“Even today, six overs 60. We planned a few things which didn’t go our way. A few field sets didn’t go our way. But the only thing that stayed constant was the belief I had. I did not panic. I was really calm,” Mandhana recalled about that moment. “That was great. I could have a great conversation with the bowlers because the Indian batters were coming. So I spoke to them about bowling certain balls and seeing what they do. Eventually, those wickets came.”
The girls dreamt about it, worked hard for it, and they did it in style! 🙌🏆
An extraordinary night! And it’s going to be a special memory for every player and fan for the rest of their lives. 😇
Enjoy watching some raw emotions from last night.#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #SheIsBold… pic.twitter.com/laBRXD1Zzb
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 18, 2024
The match, quite literally, turned. Sophie Molineux’s three-wicket over triggered a massive Delhi collapse, Shreyanka Patil sent back the dangerous Meg Lanning soon after, and 64/0 became 113 all out.
RCB’s recruitment in focus
The turnaround also brought RCB’s recruitment to the fore. Patil and Asha Sobhana impressed in patches last year despite their overall bowling troubles. The franchise realised the need to add experience to the spin bowling department. Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham were drafted in, two of Australia’s top spinners. While Wareham, the legspinner was a more obvious choice, they went left field with Molineux, who hadn’t played international cricket since 2021, due to various injury setbacks.
“We’ve been following her for a while,” Mandhana said. “I remember her bowling against us in a one-day series in Australia which we nearly won (2021). I think she was the difference between the sides, the way she bowled in the last four-five overs and her performance always stuck with me somehow.” Molineux went on to be the player of the final.
Mandhana said a key to their campaign this year was how the management trusted her despite last season’s failings to rebuild. On paper, they had assembled a good squad last year, but the results didn’t follow. A poor start couldn’t be arrested quickly enough. But in the off-season, there was no panic. “A lot of hard work went behind the scenes, not only from my side but the entire management. For them to show their faith in all of us was just amazing. You know, the only conversation they had was ‘this is your team, make it the way you want to’,” she said.
One of the key changes was to bring in Luke Williams as head coach, and Mandhana spoke highly of the influence he had in the dressing room. In the videos RCB posted, it was evident that Williams quickly struck a rapport. His emotional words after a heart-breaking one-run loss against DC was a fine rallying call to a team that looked shell-shocked.
Bengaluru will sleep well tonight. 💤#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #SheIsBold #WPL2024 #WPLFinal #DCvRCB @mandhana_smriti pic.twitter.com/jmh42irCgB
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 17, 2024
“The experience of last year’s campaign and having 12 months to plan, review and look at the different aspects of how the team should be has been helpful,” Williams said. “Smriti has been fundamental in that planning ahead of this tournament and has been very strong in bringing that calmness to the group, which has been really important Smriti in being the leader on and off the field.”
For an international star, Mandhana is still awfully shy of the spotlight. Her awkwardness in team celebrations is the stuff of social media legend. When the trophy was kept next to her at the press conference, she quipped now she’d have shed her shyness. “First thing I did was I went to the dressing room and sat. It’s hard to celebrate the way others do. I don’t know, there’s some defect,” she joked shortly after.
Her batting definitely improved after a horror first season, as she finished with 300 runs, with some memorable knocks in Bengaluru. But it is as the captain that Mandhana changed significantly in two years. The awkwardness remains, but a leader has been born.
