Women's Premier League

Smriti Mandhana opens up on competition with Kohli

Smriti Mandhana opens up on competition with Kohli
Image: BCCI

Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of Team India, has shared her thoughts on playing in the inaugural Women’s Premier League 2023 (WPL) and her comparisons with former India and Royal Challengers captain, Virat Kohli.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore will kickstart their WPL campaign against the Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Mandhana, who will be leading the team in the tournament’s first edition, said that she does not appreciate being constantly compared to Kohli and hopes to make a name for herself.

Mandhana and Kohli share a few similarities with respect to their T20 league franchises, as both play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, both have donned the captaincy hat for the franchise at a point in time, and both wear No.18 on their jerseys.

However, Mandhana believes that her achievements should not be compared to Kohli’s, stating that she respected and admired the 34-year-old a lot and wanted to emulate what he has achieved for RCB. She added that her goal was to reach that level but acknowledged that she was nowhere near it.

Regarding the WPL, Mandhana stated that it was a long-awaited tournament, and she still feels surreal that it is happening. She believes that the WPL should be treated as a tournament where players from all over the world come together on a common platform and have each other’s backs.

Mandhana went on to say that the first game of WPL was a big moment for all, including overseas players, and emphasized that the team should go out and enjoy themselves while having each other’s back.

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