Smriti Mandhana emphasizes bowling depth for Women's Champions Trophy

India captain Smriti Mandhana has prioritized building bowling depth following India’s 3-0 T20I series sweep against Zimbabwe, which concluded with a 92-run victory in Raipur on Tuesday. The series, which began on October 16, served as Mandhana’s first assignment as full-time captain and a crucial test for squad combinations ahead of the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy.

Mandhana utilized the Zimbabwe series to strategically rotate her batting order and test bowling options. After the top order struggled in the first match and the middle order lacked batting time in the second, Mandhana promoted the middle order in the third match to ensure consistent match practice. "It’s always good to have some game time and always good to have some runs behind your back," Mandhana stated, as reported by Cricinfo.

Bowling depth was a primary focus, with Mandhana deploying six individual bowlers across the three matches. Nandani Sharma led the attack with six wickets, while Kranti Gaud and Niki Prasad claimed three wickets each. Additionally, Shafali Verma contributed with off-spin, building on her experience bowling for Haryana since 2021. Mandhana praised the collective effort, noting, "The more the merrier. I'm really happy and pleased with the way Niki, Shafali, everyone chipped in."

Preparation for the Champions Trophy, scheduled for February 14 to 28 in Mumbai and Vadodara, remains the core objective. Mandhana noted that teams must prepare for dew-heavy conditions expected in the coming months. The variety of bowling options tested during the Zimbabwe tour is intended to provide India with the tactical flexibility required for the upcoming tournament.

What to watch: India's final squad selection for the February Champions Trophy.

Editor's note: The draft accurately reports on the series sweep, the captain's strategy, and the bowling performances as detailed in the source.