Overview:
She spoke about the responsibility of the current team.
India star batter Smriti Mandhana got emotional after the team won the ICC Women’s World Cup in Navi Mumbai. The Women in Blue defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final and lifted the trophy for the first time. Chasing 299, the Proteas were bowled out for 246 runs, with Deepti Sharma taking 5 wickets. Although South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt scored a hundred, it was not enough to win the trophy.
For India, Shafali Verma (87 runs, two wickets), Deepti (58 runs, 5 wickets) and Smriti Mandhana (45 runs) were the top performers. While Shafali was named the Player of the Match, Deepti was adjudged the Player of the Series for her 20 wickets and over 200 runs.
“I don’t know how to react. It is an unreal moment. We are World Champions, but it hasn’t sunk in yet. There have been so many heartbreaks for us,” Smriti Mandhana said.
She spoke about the responsibility of the current team. “We have the genuine responsibility towards women’s cricket in India. I can’t explain the pain and hard work of the last 45 days. The last T20 World Cup was tough for us as a team. We wanted to be better in every aspect of the game. Everyone was there for each other, and all the players were helpful as we were working towards a common goal,” she added.
In 9 innings, she scored 434 runs, with the help of 1 hundred and 2 fifties.