Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Player Analysis: Is Smriti Mandhana falling short of expectations?

India’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE was riddled with challenges, one of the most notable being the underwhelming performance of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Known for her elegance at the crease and often touted as India's best batter, much was expected from her in this crucial tournament. However, Mandhana failed to deliver, managing only 75 runs across four innings, with an average of 18.75 and a strike rate of 94.93. These figures were far below her usual standards, and fans were left disappointed. Her sole bright spot came in the form of a fifty against Sri Lanka, which was her only significant contribution. In the other matches, she struggled to find rhythm, falling short of expectations, and could not anchor India’s innings when it mattered most.

What made her struggles even more concerning was her consistent vulnerability against spin. Leading up to the World Cup, Mandhana had shown signs of trouble in the warm-up matches, where she was dismissed cheaply by spinners in both games. Unfortunately, the pattern persisted in the tournament itself, where spinners accounted for three of her four dismissals, and she was also run out once. As a key player for India, her inability to navigate spin bowling was a major factor in the team’s overall batting woes, raising questions about her preparation and form.

See Also: What led to India Women's early exit in the T20 world cup 2024?

Smriti Mandhana’s Wake-Up Call in T20 World Cup 2024

Smriti Mandhana’s performance in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 revealed a series of struggles that defined India’s campaign. Starting as a key player and vice-captain, expectations were high for the experienced opener to lead India’s charge. However, her performances fell well below her usual standards. In four matches, her overall contribution was limited to 75 runs, with a mixed bag of strike rates across different stages of her innings. This tournament exposed significant gaps in her ability to build and accelerate innings, particularly against spin, which played a role in her downfall.

Against New Zealand, Mandhana started relatively well, scoring 11 runs in the first 10 balls at a strike rate of 110, showcasing some intent. However, her ability to build on that momentum faltered, as she managed just 1 more run in the next 10 balls, with her strike rate plummeting to 50. Her early dismissal put India on the back foot, a trend that persisted throughout the tournament. She failed to capitalize on the powerplay, leaving her teammates to shoulder the burden of run-scoring.

Her struggles were even more evident in the game against Pakistan. Mandhana’s start was cautious, as she scored 6 runs in 10 balls at a strike rate of 60. However, her inability to rotate the strike and find boundaries after this start hurt India. In the next 10-ball phase, she could only add 1 run, dropping her strike rate drastically to 16.67. This failure to push the scoring rate or anchor the innings became a recurring issue, as Mandhana fell short of providing the platform India desperately needed.

The match against Sri Lanka offered a brief glimpse of Mandhana’s usual prowess. After scoring 6 runs in the first 10 balls at a modest strike rate of 60, she picked up the pace in the next phase. She added 20 runs at an impressive strike rate of 200, signaling a return to form. However, this was not the end of her contribution—Mandhana managed to score 24 more runs beyond the 20-ball mark, finishing with a strike rate of 133.33. Despite this strong knock, her performance was a lone bright spot in an otherwise lackluster tournament.

In the final match against Australia, Mandhana's struggles resurfaced. She managed just 5 runs in the first 10 balls at a strike rate of 50. Once again, her innings ended prematurely, leaving India without a solid start. This match epitomized her tournament woes—trouble against quality bowling, lack of fluency, and vulnerability to spinners, who accounted for most of her dismissals in the World Cup.

Overall, Mandhana’s performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup highlighted key areas of concern. While she showed sparks of brilliance against Sri Lanka, her inability to rotate strike, accelerate consistently, and handle spin left India in difficult positions. Her form slump was one of the major reasons behind India’s struggles, raising questions about her preparation and adaptability in pressure situations.

See Also: A Breakdown of India’s Stellar Batting Performance