FILE PHOTO: Mandhana, who made her T20 World Cup debut in 2014 at the age of 17, said the Australian women’s team’s success on the field inspired her and instilled in her the desire to win the trophy for India. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

India star batter Smriti Mandhana believes the team’s significant improvement in the power-hitting department will hold it in good stead heading into the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins in England and Wales next month.

In recent times, power-hitters such as Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur have led the way with their aggressive style of batting.

“I feel great as a batter at the top of the order; we have so many power hitters coming in later. We can take our time. It has not been a typical strength for this Indian team. But now it’s turning out to be our strength because we have the likes of Shafali, Richa. Harman, of course, has been doing this for a very long time. And even people like me or Jemimah [Rodrigues], we know we can find a way around the same strike rate to play,” Mandhana said to BCCI.tv.

Mandhana, who made her T20 World Cup debut in 2014 at the age of 17, said the Australian women’s team’s success on the field inspired her and instilled in her the desire to win the trophy for her country.

“I was like 16 or 17 when I played my first World Cup. That time you are not thinking about what is happening and all. But then I saw the respect for the Australian team, for me, that is when I was like, that is what I want,” the 29-year-old said.

“As a player, that was pretty attractive that, OK, you know, when the Indian team goes, we need to command that respect. And for me, that is when I started feeling that, OK, I want to win the World Cup for India. I want to win the World Cup because I want to get that sort of a feeling,” she added.

Having won its maiden ODI World Cup title last year, Mandhana said that the Indian team has the hunger and determination to also end its T20 World Cup trophy drought.

“For sure, we would like to continue the good form which we’ve had, especially having the success in the 50-over format in the World Cup. And then, of course, WPL (Women’s Premier League) was also good for a lot of players to get that experience, plus the T20 series in Australia. Having said that, with cricket, it’s all about how you start again. But I feel more than anything, with this team, we are really hungry. Everyone looks very hungry in terms of doing the right things,” Mandhana explained.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup, India registered a morale-boosting 2-1 series win against Australia before losing 1-4 to South Africa last month.

The Women in Blue will take on England in a three-match T20I series before kicking off its T20 World Cup campaign against archrival Pakistan on June 14.

Published on May 24, 2026