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Mandhana’s performance made India’s victory even more special. Thanks to her excellent fielding efforts, the New Zealand team came under pressure and began losing wickets quickly.
Smriti Mandhana bags first best fielder medal
Mumbai: In the Women's World Cup match played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India defeated New Zealand by 53 runs under the DLS method to advance to the semi-finals. In this match, India's star player, Smriti Mandhana, performed brilliantly not only with the bat but also in the field. She played a brilliant innings of 109 runs and won everyone's hearts by taking three excellent catches.
Mandhana's performance made India's victory even more special. Thanks to her excellent fielding efforts, the New Zealand team came under pressure and began losing wickets quickly.
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After the match, Team India's fielding coach, Munish Bali, praised the players' hard work and presented the 'Best Fielder' award to Smriti Mandhana. This award is given to the player who performs best in Team India's matches, and it serves as a motivating factor.
Bali Sir said, "The energy and concentration Smriti displayed on the field today was amazing. It wasn't easy to take three difficult catches, but she made the most of every opportunity."
The team was in a jovial mood during the awards ceremony. Mandhana's close friend and teammate, Jemimah Rodrigues, jokingly said, "This girl has been telling Bali Sir for days, 'Give me a medal, give me a medal.' But today, she has truly earned it through hard work."
The dressing room erupted in laughter upon hearing Jemimah's words. The BCCI shared a video of the entire moment on social media, which is now rapidly going viral.
After receiving the award, Smriti Mandhana smiled and said, "It's been two and a half years since the team started giving out medals—this is the first time I've received one. This is special for me."
She further stated that this award is the result of the entire team's hard work. "Fielding has become our team's strength, and everyone is giving their best," she added.
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India will now face Bangladesh on Sunday in their final league stage match. The team's goal is to build confidence with a win ahead of the semi-finals. Mandhana said, "We are focusing on one match at a time. Every win is important for us before the semi-finals."
This victory and Mandhana's performance have boosted the Indian women's team's confidence to new heights, and their 'first medal' has become a proud moment for the fans as well.
