Ahead of WMPL, Smriti Mandhana dives into superstar culture in Indian cricket

Smriti Mandhana is a powerhouse on and off the field and is excited to be playing cricket not only at the national level but also at the club level, as she gets ready to lead the Ratnagiri Jets this year.

Marking the debut of their women`s team under the leadership of the Indian cricket star in the inaugural Women`s Maharashtra Premier League (WMPL), they will be looking to continue their winning run from the men`s league, and with a powerhouse like Mandhana, it is definitely going to be interesting.

With more leagues sprouting every year, it is evident that cricket is a religion in India and the players are considered superstars. In a day and age when social media has evolved, superstar culture is known to exceed platforms making skipper Smriti Mandhana among other female cricketers a known name in the country and the world today. With men`s cricket possessing the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and more recently Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, women are not far behind as we have had Anjum Chopra, Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj over the years. 

In a conversation with mid-day, when asked if she feels that India is a `player-obsessed` country which makes the team take a step back, Smriti smiled and said, “I don`t know how to answer that question” but reminisced the past. Recollecting her initial days in India`s national team, the veteran of 148 T20Is stated that she never felt the crowd was coming to cheer only her seniors, Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj.

She shared, “When I came into the team, there were a lot of stars like Jhulan (Goswami) and Mithali (Raj). We looked up to them , but I never felt that people are coming to support them. I also kept believing that if people are coming to support them, then `Wow!`, even I want to do that one day. So it is in the way you take it. A lot of young girls and boys who feel that, I`m sure it comes from a nice place and they should feel that even I want to reach that level.”

Ratnagiri Jets` captain Smriti Mandhana alongside the team`s lead performance coach and former cricketer, Devika Palshikar (Pic: Sujay Shivalkar)

“I don`t see that as a culture or something, but it also drives the sport. It is neither right nor wrong, but it`s a personal choice and depends on how you look at it,” she added.

Impressed with the reply, Devika Palshikar, who is working as the lead performance coach with Ratnagiri Jets, was seen patting Team India`s vice-captain`s shoulders, showcasing how close-knit the team is ahead of their first clash. 

Being the inaugural season of the WMPL, which is helping to promote women`s cricket at the local level, the 28-year-old cricketer said, “For women`s cricket to have this sort of stage is amazing, and it also shows that women`s cricket can generate revenue, which is an amazing thing for women`s cricket, and people are ready to invest in it. The more professional the sports get, the more better it will be for grassroots level cricketers”.

Having seen it first hand, Mandhana, who is the captain of Ratnagiri Jets, said today women`s cricket is way beyond the need for promotion. “I see it as people are ready to invest in it, and this shows that women`s cricket is growing, and people want to watch it,” she said affirmatively.

Ratnagiri Jets, under Smriti Mandhana`s captaincy, will begin their Women`s Maharashtra Premier League campaign against Raigad Royals on June 5 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

This article first appeared on Mid Day