Hopefully, the ODI World Cup 2025 will be very special for us: Smriti Mandhana

India Women vice-captain Smriti Mandhana credited the team’s recent form to their strong off-field preparations. Mandhana herself has enjoyed a stellar run since last year, scoring 747 runs in 2024 and 628 in 2025, making her the leading run-scorer in ODIs this year thus far. 

The 2025 Women’s World Cup will commence on September 30, with India taking on Sri Lanka in the tournament opener. The Indian contingent will be aiming for a stronger campaign this time after failing to reach the further during the previous edition in 2022. With the home conditions being favourable, the co-hosts will certainly want to finish first this time round.

"The amount of training we are doing and the efforts we are putting in our training camps, that is finally giving us a result and hopefully this World Cup will be very special for us. In the last one-and-a-half months in the UK, I just felt a lot of things. Even off the field was very right about the team, in terms of how everyone came together and we, as a team, are really big on it in terms [of how] we are working hard here each day, day in, day out,” Mandhana said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"For all the youngsters to come in… and I remember Kranti [Goud] taking six wickets [in the third ODI], I mean to watch her go was just amazing. So sometimes, the environment kind of really helps all of them,” she added.

The Mumbai-born reflected that her work ethic has transformed in recent years, bringing more calmness to her cricket. She noted that both she and the team now clearly understand where to focus their efforts, leading to significant improvement and composure.

"More than my mindset, the work ethics have changed quite a lot in the last two or three years. And because of that, there is a lot of calmness around how I want to go about my cricket. So that's one thing which has changed massively. What happens in the field is a very secondary thing,” Mandhana said.

“Our primary job is to do the job. And not only for me - I think the whole team is heading into that direction, [where] we know where we actually have to work hard. So, we all are pretty clear with those sorts of things. And that creates a lot of calmness. I would say that in the last one-and-a-half-odd years, that's been a massive change for me personally, and also, within the team," she added.

The ravishing left-handed opening batter observed that competition has become more balanced, with no team guaranteed a finals spot. She felt this unpredictability is positive, as success now depends on performing well and giving one’s best on the day, unlike earlier dominant eras.

"Now every team has improved a lot. You don't know which team is going to be there in the top four. So, I think that is something which is really good because earlier. They were very dominating. One team was always sure they were going to play in the finals. But right now, it's always open, so it's only about playing good cricket on that particular day and giving your best," Mandhana said.

Alongside Smriti, the skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was also present with key ICC dignitaries at the event where the trophy tour was launched.