The captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore women’s team Smriti Mandhana, guided her squad to victory in the WPL championship. Her leadership and strategic decisions received praise throughout the tournament. Despite RCB women clinching the title in their second try, the RCB men’s team has yet to secure an IPL championship.
Following in the footsteps of RCB’s star batter Virat Kohli, Smriti Mandhana has frequently attributed her success to him. In a media interaction, the left-handed batswoman was questioned about the parallels drawn between her and Kohli, particularly noting that both sports jerseys with the number 18.
While replying she said, “Title is just one thing, but what the other number 18 has achieved for India is enormous. So, I don’t think the comparison is right regarding where my career is and what he has already achieved.”
“I don’t like the comparison because what he has achieved is excellent, and he has been an inspiration. The title doesn’t define a lot of things. We all respect him, and I feel the respect in Indian cricket has to be there for Virat.”
“So there is nothing different for me as well. It is not 18 vs 18. Jersey numbers are a personal choice. My birthday is on the 18th, and I have 18 on my back. However, that doesn’t define how he plays his cricket and how I play my cricket,” she said.
