It looks so easy when Smriti bats – Pratika Rawal

Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana were in sensational touch throughout the ODI series against Ireland, particularly in the final game, where the duo scored twin centuries. Rawal’s 154-run knock in the last match also propelled her overall tally to 310 runs in the series, earning her not just the Player of the Match but also the Player of the series award.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Pratika expressed her joy at performing at the top of the order for the Indian cricket team. She also revealed her admiration for her opening partner and the RCB-W skipper, Smriti Mandhana, pointing out the sheer efficacy of the latter’s batting.

Rawal said, “It's a good start to the new year, so I'm very happy. It's always good to score runs and doing it for your country is always a privilege. It has boosted my confidence and I'm happy that we won the series. I have only one celebration in my mind where I kiss my helmet. After the WI series, I wanted to get a hundred in the WI series as well so I was visualising since then.”

Pratika concluded with a note of applause for Smriti Mandhana, stating, “It looks so easy when she bats, I don't mind taking a backseat when she bats, I enjoy watching her bat.”