Deepti Sharma keen to ease captain Smriti Mandhana's burden in new vice-captaincy role
Deepti Sharma wants to make Smriti Mandhana’s job easier as India’s new vice-captain prepares for her first assignment in the role during the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, which begins on Friday.
Mandhana was recently appointed captain of India’s women’s white-ball teams, while Deepti was named her deputy for the ODI series at home. The appointments followed Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to step down as captain across formats.
Deepti said she was happy to take on the added responsibility and saw it as an opportunity to contribute more to the team, both on and off the field.
“When you get a new role, I take it as a challenge. When this news came, I felt good that I could help the other players as much as possible for the team. So, when I got this role, I was very happy,” Deepti said on the eve of the series opener.
“My mindset is to win as many matches as possible for the team, whether as a player or as vice-captain. In this role, I can help Smriti as much as possible,” she added.
INDIA EYE 300-PLUS TOTAL
Deepti expects a good batting surface for the opening ODI and said India would aim for a total of 300 or more if they bat first.
“The pitch is very good. From the training session we had, we know it will be a good batting track. We have played so many matches, and our team knows very well how the wickets are going to be and what the conditions will be. So, we are pretty sure about what to expect,” she said.
“We will think of scoring more than 300. But it will still depend on what happens after the toss and what kind of wicket we get. That will also be in our minds. But if we bat first, we will score at least 300,” she added.
India are yet to finalise their playing combination for the first match, with Deepti saying the team management would make that call closer to the game.
INDIA WARY OF ZIMBABWE THREAT
The all-rounder said India would look to stick with what had worked for them rather than make changes for the sake of it. Finding the right balance between batters and bowlers will be key as they begin the series.
“The combination will be known just before the game. It will be good for the team if we can settle on a good combination, whether as bowlers or batters. Whatever combination we choose will be good for the team,” she said.
“Whether it is T20Is or ODIs, we always try to do well as a team, and we are doing that. There is no need for unnecessary changes. Whatever we have been doing well, we want to repeat.”
Deepti also warned India against taking Zimbabwe lightly. The two sides are meeting for the first time, and she believes Zimbabwe’s recent performances in T20 cricket suggest they have players capable of making an impact.
“We are playing against them for the first time, but they look like a different team. They have new players and have built a new team. But the way they have played in T20s, they have some very good players,” she said.
“You get to learn something from them because they are very good hitters.”
– Ends
