Pooja Vastrakar's Stellar Bowling Boosts India Ahead of Women's T20 World Cup

Pooja Vastrakar's exceptional bowling in the T20I series against South Africa has given India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana confidence for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. Vastrakar took eight wickets, including a remarkable 4/13 in the final game. Mandhana praised her performances, emphasizing the importance of pre-series preparation.

Pooja Vastrakar's exceptional bowling in the T20I series against South Africa has instilled confidence in India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup scheduled for October in Bangladesh.

The 24-year-old fast bowler took eight wickets across the series, including a standout 4/13 in the decisive final game, leading India to thrash South Africa by 10 wickets and level the series 1-1. Despite the second match being washed out, Vastrakar's performance remained consistent, grabbing two wickets as South Africa played the full 20 overs.

Mandhana expressed her admiration for Vastrakar's impactful bowling, especially on flat wickets, and highlighted the critical role she will play in the World Cup. She also credited the pre-series camp at the National Cricket Academy for preparing the team effectively against South Africa. Additionally, Mandhana acknowledged the valuable contributions of Shafali Varma and the evolving batting strategy ahead of the T20 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

(With inputs from agencies.)