Smriti Mandhana finally breaks silence after calling off wedding with Palaash Muchhal, says…

Smriti Mandhana has faced many challenges over the past month. She was a key player in India's Women's World Cup win but also had to deal with difficult times in her personal life.

Smriti Mandhana has had a challenging month. She was a key player in India’s Women’s World Cup victory but also faced difficulties in her personal life. Now, she is back doing what she loves most, playing cricket. Mandhana has been named vice-captain of India’s T20I team for the series against Sri Lanka, which begins on December 21. This will be India’s first bilateral series since the Women’s World Cup final on November 2. On Wednesday, Mandhana joined India captain Harmanpreet Kaur at an event and spoke about her mindset.

What did Smriti Mandhana say?

“Well, to be fair, I mean, as Harman said, the love for the game, and I don’t think I love anything in life more than cricket. So, when you go out to bat or when you go out to represent your country, I don’t think any other thoughts are there in the mind. When you put on the Indian jersey, the only thing you want to do is represent India and win the match for the country,” Smriti Mandhana spoke at the event. This was also her first public appearance since she ended her engagement to music composer Palaash Muchhal.

“And yeah, I mean, the biggest motivation is that when you put on the jersey and India is written on it. I mean, I always tell everyone that once you put on the jersey, you just keep all your problems aside and just be on the field, because you have a responsibility and you are one among two billion people who are representing your country. And I mean, just the thought of that is enough for you to have that razor-sharp focus and do what you want to do.”

Smriti Mandhana was also questioned about conflicts within the team

“Well, I think, firstly, I don’t look at it as issues because everyone is wanting to win the game for the country and everyone has their own opinion on how we will win the game for the country,” Mandhana said.

“But genuinely, if we don’t have those discussions or arguments, we aren’t winning on the ground. Because if we do not have those sorts of discussions where we are disagreeing about something, that means we are not passionate enough to win the match for the team. So, we definitely do have those sorts of discussions.”

Smriti Mandhana and Palaash Muchhal’s wedding

Smriti Mandhana was planning to marry music composer Palash Muchhal on November 23. The ceremony was delayed after Mandhana’s father, Srinivas, became unwell. On Sunday (December 7), Mandhana and Muchhal shared on social media that they have decided to cancel the wedding.