January 2016, Adelaide. When roommates Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur switched off the television set in their hotel room after the thrilling finale of Women's Big Bash League's inaugural season, the two couldn't help but fantasise about what participating in such an intense tournament could do to their game. Neither had any idea that a passing comment like 'we have to be there the next time' would translate into reality so soon.
Tied down by their home board back then, the duo was desperate for a chance to showcase its talent and rub shoulders with the best in the business. The success of WBBL had captured their imagination like nothing else. And the hunger reflected in their on-field performances when both played a vital role in India's historic T20I series win in Australia.
Carrying forward her stellar form into the succeeding ODIs, Mandhana, then 19, notched up her maiden hundred at Hobart, albeit in a losing cause. But the ease with which she had tamed a quality attack like that of Australia's didn't go unnoticed. That the bowlers she had hit all over the park walked up and congratulated her left Mandhana overwhelmed. Little did she know that eight months down the line, she'd be signing up to share the dressing room with few of those.
Come December, both Mandhana and Harmanpreet will be packing their bags for a two-month stint of what would be their first taste of the successful league. This time though, not as roommates.
Mandhana, the younger of the two, became the second Indian to be snapped up by a WBBL franchise when Brisbane Heat announced the signing of the prodigious batter for the second season of the highly-anticipated tournament, on Tuesday (September 27).
"It feels great to be a part of Big Bash," Mandhana tells Cricbuzz in an exclusive chat. "I've always wanted to play in that tournament and getting this opportunity to participate at such a young age, and getting to gain good experience from it will help me immensely in the future. I'm very fortunate to have been signed by them," adds the 20-year-old, who will be joining the team for their pre-season camp from December 4.
Those who are wise beyond their years are often enigmas. Remind Mandhana about the good times she has had in Australia and she counters with a measured response. "It always gives you that confidence, going back to the place where you have scored big. But you can't dwell on the past. You can't be in that frame of mind that 'oh, I've already got runs here, I can score again.'
"I won't have that at the back of my mind, no. Rather than thinking about my past performances, I am looking forward to the games that are ahead and preparing well for it. Past performances never matter to me."
Set to play a bare minimum of 14 games, against quality teams that will boast of the cream of international circuit in their ranks, the Maharashtra opener is hoping to make the most of this new adventure. Learning off fitness routines of her teammates and their game preparation, and improving fielding are high on her agenda.
"Learning about fitness and fielding, the Australian ways I guess you can call it, would be very helpful. Knowing how they prepare for a game, study their opposition and prepare for it, will help me individually, as well as is something I am looking to share with my team when I come back."
Competition isn't intimidating, she feels. That the West Indies star Deandra Dottin would now be a teammate rather excites Mandhana. "I'm really looking forward to sharing the dressing room with her. She is the biggest power-hitter in women's cricket right now. Playing alongside her, getting into her mind and sharing some knowledge (with her) will be a unique experience.
"Of course, the Australian players too. They were the ones who came up to me (after the hundred in Hobart) and said 'well played mate'.
"Interacting with Jess Jonassen, Holly Ferling and Beth Mooney, who have already played for Australia, will be interesting. Just playing them in nets will also be very helpful for me individually."
The left-handed opener scored her maiden ODI century in Hobart that impressed her Australian counterparts. © Getty
When Heat had shown interest in her, in late August, Mandhana was reluctant to share the news with too many. The talks were on, nothing concrete though. And she didn't want to jump the gun. It took painstakingly long, or so it seemed, but the congratulatory messages from the near and dear ones haven't stopped pouring in since then.
When the deal began to take shape though, the opener, who at the time was a part of the 25-member senior women's annual camp at the NCA in Bangalore, instantly rang up her parents.
"My mom and dad were the first ones I shared the news with. They're really looking forward to it, watching it on TV."
The doting mother, however, wants to tag along with her daughter. "She's worried about my food because I am a bit careless, I don't eat properly," Mandhana chuckles. "She's worried but she also knows that I can handle it well by myself."
And does the thought of being away from her support system, for two long months, bother the 20-year-old? "I'm actually really excited about this aspect. I like being on my own, I like spending with myself. I'm actually looking forward to how am I going to handle it. And I'm sure, it'll be fun."
'Fun' and exploring Australia apart, Mandhana's priority remains cricket. With the matches scheduled mostly around the weekends, it gives her ample time to access the facilities at Australia's National Cricket Centre, also in Brisbane.
Decembers otherwise used to be spent crisscrossing the country with her Maharashtra teammates. New Year celebrations were still rare though. They'd either be playing a game, mostly one-dayers, or training for one the next day. Incidentally, the shuffle in domestic fixtures this year means she will instead be missing the T20s for her state team and plying her trade on foreign shores.
"They (Maharashtara teammates) are very excited for me that I've got this opportunity. If I am not there, I'm sure it will give some other youngster a chance to step up. Of course they're a little sad that I won't be playing this season, but they are all very happy that I got selected for WBBL," says the left-hander, who wants to make this opportunity count.
Ask her if making it to WBBL was one of her season goals that she otherwise isn't very keen to share, and she'd surprise you with her candour again. "You could probably call this a short-term goal. Performing there is much more important for me than just participating in this tournament. Scoring there and ensuring that I play a hand in my team's victory is what I value more, that's my long-term goal."
Countering bounce would be the key to a successful stint, where Mandhana hopes to help her team make it to the knockouts, at the very least. The bouncy tracks of Australia would be a test of her backfoot game, but for now, the focus remains on the immediate task at hand - the new domestic season that kicks off with Senior Women's One-Day League, from October 1 in Raipur.
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