Test Match Special - No Balls: India legend Smriti Mandhana

Episode Date: July 24, 2025

Alex Hartley and Kate Cross are joined by India legend Smriti Mandhana to discuss where her love of cricket began, captaining Royal Challengers Bangalore in the WPL and what Kate Cross is like as a teammate. Plus she answers some listener questions.

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you're getting a fair exchange rate with no extra markups. Be smart. Join the 15 million customers who choose Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. T's and Cs and Cs apply. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Al, we've got to issue a swear warning because you are an absolute potty mouth. Not another one. And you need to remember that your grandma listens to this. She does. She also abuses me on social media.

But don't worry, we beep it out. See your kids can listen. And Grandma Jean. Cross. I'm doing round the wicket. Boulder. Lover. Lagerieving a fall alone. Litchfield. I think it's the wobble ball.

And it just nips back. It jags back. It's the nipbacker. That is a beauty for me. Kate Cross, an absolute seed. That is a beautiful cross. Hello and welcome back to No Balls, the Cricket podcast, with me, Alex Hartley, and you. Kata Cross, as my phone just told me that you were called.

Yeah, what's it called? Your signal ran out, so I didn't really hear that story, but you were chuckling away, so it must have been good. It was, it was like, FaceTime, only from Katta Cross 16. That's weird. My email address. Thanks for giving my email address away to everyone. No, I've not done the end of it. Oh, okay, so they just guess.

Yeah, just guess. Just send it to any email. How are you? At gawu.com. Please don't email that address. Email is on no balls cricket podcast at BBC.com.com. No balls cricket podcast at BBC.com.com. That's not our email address.

It's no balls podcast at BBC.co.com. Oh, brilliant. Brilliant. Good start. Great start. Strong stuff. How are you, Kate? I am okay. Yeah? I'm okay. How are you? I'm good, thank you. I'm good. I'm also... I'm okay. I don't want to say it, but you know what's coming.

You're tired. I'm tired. But that's okay. But other than that, I'm good, thank you. Very good. Good. Yeah, you've played golf today. Yeah, I've played some golf. Really sweet, actually. So we finished up in Durham yesterday in the final ODI and I was at, like, We all have dinner together with the umpires and Anna was like, what are you doing this week?

So I said, oh, I'm playing for Lanks on Thursday so I'm going to stay up in Durham because we're playing at the Rive side. And she was like, I'm playing golf with Sue tomorrow. Do you want to play? I was like, yes, that is exactly what I want to do. So I went and played a round with, a very wet round with Anna and Sue.

It was very drizzly. Yeah, you sent a selfie. And honestly, I was like, no, I'm missing out. I know, I know. Anna's so, so keen to get the annual that's only half a month's golf day into the calendar, but we need to get that sorted. But I learnt something really funny about Anna Harris yesterday.

Go on. If she was a born-a-boy, she was going to be called Cosmo. Like Cosmopolitan? Yeah. Like Cosmo. Cosmo Harris. Dr Cosmo, she would have been. He would have been.

I reckon we should call her that. Dr Cosmo. I'm going to throw now. I did say, can I have to talk about this on the podcast? And she was like, yeah, okay. Yeah. Fine. Crossy, we've actually got a really, really, really good interview that we need to get into.

We've got the guest that everyone's been crying out for. And no one really believed that we were going to get her on. But we've got her on. We pinned her down. We got her on. And we started this podcast with the wrong email address. So everyone, the thousands and thousands of people that are going to listen to this are going to email the wrong thing. So that's a great start.

I want to say you got her on. You did the hard work. you put in the hard yards for this beautiful podcast of ours. Shall we listen to her? I think let's get straight into it because it's so good, we actually enjoyed it. Al, I'm so excited. We have finally got the Queen of Bangalore on the podcast. We've got Smitty Mandana joining us.

Hey, Smitty. Very amazing production. It was about intro, actually. Okay, introduce yourself then. You know how shy I am. Sorry, should I say Queen of India? No, you know how shy I don't like all that. Okay, sorry, Smriti.

We started off on the bad foot, sorry about that. We could really embarrass you if we wanted to, but we will. I mean, yeah, I was ready for this before coming to the podcast, so I'm fine. He just actually said to us off record that you haven't done podcast for a while. So why have you let us interview you? I mean, because I know you well, Kate, now with that we play in. for RCB and we had some amazing memories so generally not a huge fan of podcasts because I just feel we have already so much we always keep talking in press conference everyone is just

hearing us so much I just feel like we'll just get too bored of us so I'm so I'm away from all of those things but but yeah I mean I can't say no to you and and I always find your podcast interesting I saw a little bit with jemmy so yeah that was a great episode No pressure. No, I don't think I can be in a podcast and talking. I don't think I'm as entertaining as she is. I think you could think. How are you, Schmitti?

You all good? Yes, yes, I'm good. Long time. I think we played for Hobart together. Yeah, we did. That was 2019, maybe. Yeah, I think long back. We won one game all season or something.

Because you played Alex. It's because I played. I think I kind of hit, I threw one throw and it hit her. I think it was that, right? In the face. Yeah, you did. I had to go and get a scan in my face, yeah. I don't know how I was a professional grapster, actually.

It was just a standard throw in it hit me in the face. Right, Smitty, our fans are, they're going to be so excited that you're on here. So we're going to go right, right, right, right back. And we want to know how did you get in the same thing? cricket? Oh, I mean, you know, my brother used to play cricket. My father was obsessed of cricket. So, I mean, I always joke around my family that the only thing I heard when I was in my mom's, like, I was in her stomach, maybe cricket, because that's all they discussed. Even when I, I mean, I was four or five from the time I started understanding anything.

My dad used to watch all the matches. I mean, not only India matches, he would watch all the matches. He was obsessed of left-handers. He used to, he loved. left-hander battles and that's why I'm a right-tee but I made me and I both left-hander battles yeah so so I mean that's how you play you play other sports right-handed that would use like would tennis be right-handed yeah I play everything right-handed even I throw right-handed oh yeah I do bowl I have an international cricket now ball right-handed I've seen you ball I want to see more of it so cricket was your family was just obsessed with cricket so you just grew up with it. Yeah, as I said, I mean, like typical cricket, Indian cricket family.

And my dad wanted to always play, but because we come from a family where it was all about business, so they never allowed him to play a lot of cricket. So he was like, I would want my kids to play cricket. So that's how the family, and it was like one of his dreams that one of the kids play for India, which is like, which happened when I played. So he was very happy. about it. So what was the landscape like in India for female athletes when your dad was trying to push you to play cricket? Was it always going to be a big thing if you played for Indian women's cricket? Because when I was that age, it wasn't big in England at all. No, I think it is not big at all in India. I mean, the only names maybe we knew was Mitali Raj and Jolungoswamy.

That too from newspaper cuttings in the smaller corner of the page. We would just read something about them and we would be like even if I would want to play like my mom wanted me to play tennis because that was more accessible for girls at that age and of course cricket was not I mean I was the only girl playing in the whole academy of 15200 boys when I was like maybe 7-8 and because I come from again a very small city in India again so it's like I was maybe only 3 or 4 girls in the whole city playing cricket so so I mean yeah it wasn't like a very natural thing for girls to play cricket at that time but of course there's a lot of things changed after the 2017 world cup so who were your role models when you were growing up then who

did you want to be like to be fair i mean i didn't watch a lot of cricket at that age i should only play cricket like like gully cricket like on roads with boys and and like just with my brother so the only person who i grew up watching was my brother and i tried to copy everything from him so i would say like he was my role model growing up i don't think i was taught to play cricket I was, I've just watched him bat and I just like kind of copied it. So, I mean, he was pretty much my role model that, I mean, I want to bat like that. And of course, growing up after a while, I mean, I love Sangrakara's batting. So I quite like to, like even now if I don't bat or the way I want to bat, I go and watch his video sometimes.

That, you know, it just makes me feel happy. Have you met him yet? Yeah, yeah, I've met him. I met him during Kia Super League actually in 2018, way back. Yeah, so he was commenting and I kind of. code of 50 and I was on Twitter at that time. Of course, I was on Twitter and I checked, he tweeted something about me and I ran to the manager saying that I really didn't want to meet him.

So, yeah, I had a nice chat with him and since then, yeah, I've been in touch here and there whenever we meet. That's so cool. What were the boys like when you were growing up? Did they accept that there was a girl playing cricket or was it, was there any, like, controversy or anything around it? Oh, no, I think I was a very lucky girl, you know, when people asked me, how was I accepted and all.

I think I was pretty, like, surrounded with all the nice guys. They always, they always treated me like that one girl in the academy, the small one, because I was 7-8. I used to always get extra batting. All the boys used to always take care of me, like, their smaller sister. Because, of course, my brother's brother also used to play, so it was like his friends also. Okay. So, I mean, yeah, I was, the boy used to kind of feel jealous about it, that, you know,

she's getting extra batting. The pose is looking after her a lot more than us. Yeah, but I can imagine your brother being like, you look after my sister. or I'll... It was the other way, though he was my bigger, like, elder brother. I was a little more... I mean, this is a very calmer version of me. I wasn't like this growing up.

I was pretty angry girl. I can't imagine that. Yeah, I mean, not many people would actually relate because now I'm calm now and I don't like really get angry. But of course, back then, I used to keep fighting with everyone. I used to just like, I knew how to get my work done. would see in a nice way. Alex was very, very surprised,

Smriti, that you debuted for India in 2013. I honestly thought it was like 2017. Oh, yeah. I mean, not many people would have seen because I would have not done much before that. No, I remember. No, I remember when you first came on the scene and everyone was talking about this new left-hander,

this young girl, because you were 17 when you debuted. Is that right? 17, yeah. I remember. So while someone actually told me that you were the cousin or the niece or something, you were related to Sir Afghan Gunguli, and that's who you batted like. So then I saw your bat and I was like, yes, you bat is exactly like him. I'm nowhere related to him. Okay, put the rumours to bed, not related. He's from Kolkata. I am from the west side of India. He's from the east side of India. Okay. And I have nothing in common with him.

Fate news. Of course, the only thing is that we both bat left-handed. But I do remember coming as an 18-year-old to England and we had that test match at Wormwood. At Wormsley. I think I might have got you out. Oh. Really?

Oh, I mean, I think my first ball of the match was a boundary, was against you, maybe. That's more likely, actually. Yeah, it's more likely you hit me for a boundary. Yeah, then I think I would have got out as well to you, but I'm not sure. Because I remember hitting, it was like a green top, and you could not really hit you.

see which is a wicket because it was like similar to the ground and the wicket yeah so yeah I mean it was a memorable test match you guys you won that and we got in loads of trouble that was the one where there was like nine or ten LBWs there was so many LBWs wasn't I was there as a fan watching I remember that you got I was at short leg in the first inning then I was like I don't know how I'm going to bat here because every it just felt like the wall is going around everywhere I mean I I felt like, you know, even if I pick up at that boy, I would come around quite a lot. So you made a debut at 17 years old. Did you feel any pressure being so young, or were you too young to feel pressure? Pressure is something which I don't think, I think quite a lot about all of those things. As a kid also, I would, I was, because I used to always lead my state side as a 15, 16 year old. Like, I was leading my state side when I was 16, like senior state side.

I was pretty calm under everything. So, for me, I mean, like, the pressure thing was not quite high because the only thing my parents said that just go and enjoy playing cricket, we just want you to enjoy. Don't think of scoring, what happens, and, you know, just go and do the job and as long as it makes you happy. I think because in India, a lot of pressure comes from the parents and then the pressure actually boils down to India head

in terms of as a kid at 17. But my parents are pretty chill, they were like, just go enjoy. Yeah, I mean, the pressure was, you see all. the people in the dressing room and it's like oh okay I'm around all the legends who have read in the newspaper so I don't know because I'm pretty shy I didn't know how to approach them or how to talk but that was the only pressure playing cricket wasn't like a big pressure that's such a great way to look at your international debut especially at 17 yeah I mean as 17 I feel the pressure comes in late first year of international cricket I always tell the younger kids also it's like a

honeymoon phase I mean you're just like people don't know about you you're just like batting no one knows your strengths no one knows your weaknesses you're just batting and scoring them the real test actually starts from like maybe the second year yeah with the expectation expectations also when people start watching your game they'll start planning against you they'll have like different sort of plans like now also even every match you go out too bad you have you see the feel set and you're like okay fine they have come with a different plan now so i mean you know actually the pressure starts now rather than the first year because it's just like people will be focusing more on the people who have already playing quite a lot more than me

and they are more senior and they would want to get them out so they're like okay let her bat so for me also it was like that let her bat we'll try and get other person out so I don't think I had any sort of pressure at that time that's absolutely completely fair because I remember like obviously the plans that we would have had for you when I played years ago would be so different to crossy what the plans are now as well because obviously you've got to adapt your game and keep moving with the time How have you found that from, because you've obviously played international cricket for such a long time now. Like, how has India cricket changed within that time?

Yeah, I mean, as a cricket especially, I feel international cricket, the talent, those things are there. It only helps you the first few years. And then it's about adaptability, how you start adapting to the conditions, how you start adapting to the new roles given to you by the team. I mean, when I started in the Indian team, not many people expected me to score. were like maybe people wanted Metali to score a lot more, Herman to score a lot more and I was just a young kid. Of course, in the last five, six years,

the expectations have changed in terms of, for me to take the team through. So, I mean, yeah, you have to just keep adapting and just understand where the game is heading. I mean, I'm very happy to bat at a 90-strike rate, but now you know that it's not enough. You have to bat at 140, 150s, 50s in T-20 easily. So, yeah, I mean, the things have changed quite a lot,

but I mean the growth of women's cricket in the last eight years I mean we all can be just really proud about it I mean it's just such an amazing side to watch for women's cricket to reach at this stage and whenever we play WPL I mean I think we had a discussion over it as well at RCB I mean not any time I have felt that the crowd is cheering for me or I just feel like the women like women's cricket is winning I mean it's just such a nice side to watch

we'll get on to the WPL because you two played together and I want to get into that. But how have you dealt with then being famous in India? Genuinely, I don't take myself that seriously. If you think about yourself that much that, oh, okay, people are like, I'm still the same person. My parents are still the same with me. My brother is still the same with me. They'll keep joking around me. They'll still taunt me a lot. They'll still do the exact thing. So I mean, if those your, like I feel like the roots of your living hasn't changed, it doesn't change you a lot of course I can't go out quite a lot

in India now that's changed massively can't do a lot of normal things but which is fine I I'm still very happy being in the hotel room and doing my own stuff I'm not like a jemmy or this you know those people who want to go out they want to explore I'm chill

and whenever we come to UK Australia and all I mean we have a nice time where we can step out quite a lot so but yeah I mean I genuinely I didn't take myself seriously Oh, I'm famous now to be a certain way. I mean, I'm just what I am. I feel that that really leads us nicely into the WPL because obviously the auction happened.

RCB put their hand in their purse and they throw a lot of money at you, Smitty. Like, did you feel the pressure because it's such a big franchise and they still hadn't won a trophy and, you know, they've had some amazing male players play for them on the men's side? Like, did you feel any pressure at any point that you would be leading that? from the women's point of view. I mean, of course, when the WPL was announced,

I kind of knew I'm going to lead a team. I don't know which team is going to go for you and what's going to happen in the auction. So for sure, I would have never been stressed about anything, but that auction was a little weird. I mean, you're not used to that sort of a feeling. You just don't know which team you're going to go, who's going to want you?

Is there anyone going to bid for you? What's going to happen? I mean, it's just like a very weird feeling. all of us were watching it together at the World Cup and we just didn't know how do we actually react but yeah I mean and unfortunately my name was first up and I was like oh god

that's the last thing I want so but yeah I mean when RCB picked me up I was very happy because of course they're such a huge franchise in terms of how they have had men's cricket and one thing I knew about RCB that

they're nice people and the management of cross people played. I mean, they're just nice people to work with. And that's the only thing as a player you want, like, everything else comes later. You just want to work with nice people and nice human beings. And all I knew was they are nice. So, I mean, the first part of the pressure was gone because they are nice. I remember the first season when we were bottom of the table. And the manager said that the owners want to have a video call with you. I was very stressed. I was like, okay, I don't know what do I tell them. I mean, I haven't scored too many runs not many times it's happened that I have not scored I don't know even how do I explain

so I mean it was such a weird but the first question they asked me like are you okay leave what's happened just just tell me if you're okay and just be happy so I mean that kind of made me feel a lot more connected to them and made me feel like family because the first year you kind of didn't know we just four days into the world after the World Cup we started so I mean I didn't know who they are what they are but but yeah I mean the actual journey started after the first WPL finished right from that time when we had two meetings about how we want to build this team and then how do we actually plan in the auction and all of that and I feel that was definitely a lot more I mean I really enjoyed that process

because to be part of the whole process and then actually second season when we won it it was actually a very nice feeling and that we could do that for the franchise when it had not won already I mean to see the fans happy till now I mean wherever I go in Bangalore or anywhere. The first thing, they'll be like, thank you. So, I think Alice Perry is Queen of Bangalore. That could be very true, actually. We see, obviously, in the men's side of it,

that players get associated with teams and almost are there forever. Do you see yourself at RCB for the foreseeable future? I mean, as long as they want me, I wouldn't be there. I think they'll want you, Smitty. I don't think there's any team in the WPL. I mean, of course I can't predict what is going to happen but as I said I mean it's just become a family the people have become family so so for sure I mean the mega auction is going to come so I don't think I can talk a lot about it but but for sure I mean as long as they want

and things work out I'm sure that I would want to be with because in general I don't like to change a lot of franchise even if 100 if you see I would want to come back to brave I mean I would not go to other franchises because it just gets easier as a player that you know the people there. Yeah. Do you enjoy captain-in? Yes, I think I enjoy captainship because it, I mean, it just gets me thinking quite a lot as well out of the field and have that kind of a relationship with the player. Yeah, I mean, in general, I think I like captaining because as a 15-16-year-old, as I said, I mean, I've always captained sides. So, I mean, you know, Yeah, it's been a nice journey with RCP to lead.

So, and I just feel like I'm just more involved in the game. And it doesn't, I like, as a batter, I don't think I have to change. So that's one thing, which is nice. I just think that I have to lead when I'm, like, not bad. In the field, yeah. When you're playing, it's obviously the WPL has produced so many cricketers now. We've almost, India has unearthed these young, talented players. How much of an impact has.

the WPL had on finding those players in India? Massive, I mean, not only, I mean, a lot of people are actually seeing the WPL and the kind of people or players have come out with it, but the standard of domestic cricket growing and going up because they are watching WPL and they know that they have to play a certain brand of cricket to get to WPL. The domestic cricket has also gone up quite a lot. Like last year, I mean, they were, in one days, they were consistently getting 280 plus.

in domestic and 300s were getting chased, which we had not seen a lot in our domestic cricket. So I would for sure, WPL has played a massive impact in terms of for us to get players and we know who's ready for the international cricket because it's a proper gap between the domestic cricket and international, that it's like a proper bridge towards international cricket. But what it actually has done is, I mean, the whole ecosystem of women's cricket in India. I mean, they know that, of course, they want to play for India. But before that, of course, they want to also focus how do we get picked by the WPL team

or what X Factor can they get in their game so the scouts can pick them up when they play for domestic. It has been amazing. I think I remember watching the men's auction maybe about four or five years ago. I remember tweeting saying like how amazing it would be when we get a women's WPL because that felt like it was the piece of the puzzle that was missing because we had a big bash and we had a tournament in England. But we just, we were so desperate.

And I think the WPL has also kind of catapulted the rest of franchise cricket as well because everyone now has to catch up with the WPL. Yeah, I mean, we kind of all knew whenever they, I mean, we thought of women's IPL at that time. We didn't know it's going to be named WPL, but we all knew everyone of us, like, we knew whenever it comes, it's going to change a lot of things for women's cricket in general, not only for India, but overall, I mean, because of course the economics are going to change. massively and for WPL to be the highest I mean paid league across women's sport in the world without a ball being bold was something which was a really proud moment for women's cricket

and I would say that you know that was always going to happen and we kind of knew it but the kind of response the whole nation showed towards WPL and turning up at matches that was something which a lot of people had a lot of question marks including we didn't know is it going to do the same what IPL has done but I mean we're just seeing the growth every year we see numbers going high

the TV viewership going high the generation of revenues going high and also other franchisee cricket I mean everyone's also kind of got one competition that you know like how it's about men's IPL I mean it's also about catching up with WPL now there was a moment when

obviously I was sat on side of the match but we played at home at the Chinaswami and the noise that the fans made, they did this whistle and it just was this continuous whistle and I remember I was sat on the side with my fingers in my ears because it was so like it was like nothing I've ever heard before. It's like an aeroplane passing over at the airport. It was so, so, so loud. And I remember thinking like, wow, these fans, they don't care that it's men or women or Vera or Smitty. They don't care who's playing. They just support RCB and it really felt like the side. eyes of the franchise hit me that day and I was like,

this is big. This is... It's nice. I mean, that particular year, when I walked out for Toss, I think Mel Jones was there. And when she started speaking, I just could not hear what she's speaking. Genuinely, I don't have many emotions. I mean, a lot of girls keep joking around that.

I mean, you're just very blah. You don't have emotions. You're just like, we don't know when you're happy, when you're sad. I don't know, maybe naturally I'm like that. When I was there at the toss and I just heard the noise, I mean, I was actually holding back my emotions a lot because it kind of just felt unreal that I have been at Chinnaswamy for men's IPL and I'd seen that happening and that happening for the women's cricket and for me to feel that. I mean, that was something very nostalgic for me and I mean, I was just speechless

at that time. I don't know how did I even answer her back. I don't think I did. I was completely zoned out because I was genuinely not able to hear her. Plus the kind of love the fans were giving. I mean, it was just genuinely the first thing which came to me was like, wow, it's like women's cricket is there now. Like, what we wanted, all of us together, it's just reached there now. You didn't just win the toss. You won the tournament that year.

Both of you playing together. I want both of you to talk me through it. Like, I'm a massive RCB fan. I have been for years and years. I was crossy, got me a shirt, and I was the happiest I've ever been in my life. How was it winning the thing? Schmitti, you are the first captain to win a trophy for RCP.

That's pretty cool. I think first crossy should say, I'm going to get this right. So, Isalakup Namdu. That was what got said, because does that translate us, the trophy is coming? The trophy is ours. So it's East Salakup Nam-day. That this year the trophy will be ours. and nam do is it is already ours so i remember it's not my last my first language first me i also learned

that thing yeah so that's the that's the is it karnika uh shreanga shrianga and danish taught me that yeah so they're they're from bangalore so that there was this always on twitter or always on instagram i kept seeing this phrase and then smritzmriti's caption or when you won the trophy that was the first thing you said and the whole again the whole crowd just went crazy and whole of twitter exploded I think you broke the internet that day. But my favourite part of RCB winning was Reacher. And in the last group game, she couldn't get the team over the line with the bat

and she was on the floor crying, disappointed. Like we lost by a really marginal score. It was tiny. And she batted brilliantly that day and just couldn't get us over the line. And then in the finals, Reacher hit the winning runs. And it was this really lovely story

within the narrative of RCB winning it was this younger. who just had an amazing couple of weeks. Well, it was a couple of days, actually, because it was quite a quick turnaround. But I just remember that being really special and the whole team got around her. Obviously, not many people will think about that.

They'll think about RCB winning the trophy. But I just remember that being a really, really nice part of the win. Yeah, I mean, that day when the Delhi match happened when she could not actually win it, and I just to calm her down because she was crying, I just cracked a joke, don't worry, you'll score the winning runs for us. I did not know that's going to happen. I had just, just like, kind of tell her that it's okay, don't try now.

But yeah, I mean, it was pretty special. And the whole, I mean, you know, as Kate said, I mean, sometimes we will just talk about how we won trophy and all. But that whole 35 days, I mean, all of us together, it just felt like whole family. We enjoyed everyone's there for each other when we did not win or we're celebrating wins as well. And it just felt like a family. that when happens and it's very hard to create in franchise cricket. I mean, I've played quite a few of franchises

but it's very hard to create that in a franchisee cricket because you come together only for a month and a half but I mean that second year kind of had that quite a lot and it just felt like everyone's just there for each other which is the best memory for me from that kind of

like that season. The one thing I want to know the one thing I've so first ever counted to win the men have played for years and years you come in second yet i was trying to ignore that question no lift the trophy did rcb buy you a congratulations present i mean genuinely uh more than the present what uh the emotions they kind of showered upon us i mean that's very i'm very happy with that i'm not they haven't bought

me so i mean i'll i'll call up a few of them and i'll tell them that thanks alex but no i mean jokes aside. I remember them on the balcony when we won in the management and them actually running down and they all had like tears in their eyes. For me, I mean, that was something very special. When I saw them all like tearing up and they were just like, they just, I mean, they had the trophy more than we had it because they just felt like it's their baby. If I don't know, Crossi remembers that. There will be lesser photo sessions with the players and this management because they actually felt like their baby and they're like really tearing apart

and they're like, they're just like that kind of moment made me feel like wow like we've given them something special and again the fan I mean Crocey missed the part where we actually went to Bangalore but that was again I mean after the stadium thing we went to the cafe RCB bar in cafe

and literally there was this whole road which had people like chanting RCP life for straight one hour and wanting to just see the cup they were not there for any player they were not there for me no one they just wanted to see the cup which was pretty special

it was so special and I can't remember who it was who said it but when we won it someone did say this will break the internet and I remember RCB was obviously trending and millions and millions of tweets and everything and it was all thank you it was everyone just being so genuinely

pleased for the team to have won something but I'm going to let you into a little secret because I know why RCB won that trophy so you know Smitty he said she's never emotional she gave us a telling off oh no can't skip out you told the girls off do you remember you sat us all down in the meeting room it was maybe after game three or four

and you said basically to summarise you were like we weren't good enough in the field but you know it didn't look like people wanted to be there and so we got this like really stern word from Smitty and I've never seen you do anything other than smile and I was like oh okay yeah And I obviously didn't even play, so I was just like, oh, that's not my fault, that's your fault. But I genuinely think Smitty, I think that was brilliant leadership because you, it was like you put your stall down and said, like, we don't stand for anything that's less than good enough.

And obviously, I know no one's perfect in cricket. But I think that was the turning point. And there was still the calmness when we lost games, but there was almost like an expectation on the team to do better as a group. And I think that was a really important part of, it was really early on, but it was a really early on. important part of why we won that trophy. Oh, I mean, of course, I still feel like, we can just tell what the players have to do it. So I would still say the players kind of responded well. But of course, I mean, I'm a different version on the ground.

My Indian teammates would tell you that when they get told off quite a lot, when they do something wrong. They do, okay. Like, the smiling version is always there, but yeah, I mean, there's something where, as a cricketer, there's something which I feel like if we don't look good enough, I mean, it's not about winning or losing, it's just about how you put up the efforts and how much you are wanting to do it. And if that place, if I feel something is not right, is when a lot of girls would get told off. and do you know what I've seen a big difference with that with the India side as well with how you guys are in the field how you go about your cricket there's been a real difference for me in the last two years is that something that has been a conscious effort from the leadership group within the women's team yeah I mean of course we know where we are

not great and it's not like a big thing but we I kind of feel that in last two years everyone's accepted that and everyone's really wanting to work on it plus from the leadership group as well i mean you know that's become a big priority and i that's one thing which i told myself a few years back that you know you have to change yourself first and then you have to tell so there's a lot of changes which i have started doing as well in terms of me as a player and so so i mean but but genuinely these girls the young girls the kind of energy they get they're just i mean it's more the other way you just watch them and you're like okay you're not working hard enough I mean if you see Rada working out I mean you just feel like okay fine you know I'm just not doing enough

I saw a picture of her in shorts and a sports bra she must have put it on the internet she got a full on six pack I was like oh my gosh yeah I mean if she's getting bored in the room she's she's exercising she's that sort of a girl like I remember once I woke up and I was just having her next stiffness and I was just telling her I'm rather I mean my and I guess it. And the answer I get is, oh, you're not doing your back strengthening enough. You need to work on your back. And I'm like, fine. I'm sorry. Even when I don't, I mean, if I get a start and I don't score up onto a bigger run, and she'll come to me and she'll like, wasting your talent. I'm like, she's so blunt and I'm like, okay, fine, Rada. I'm sorry.

And this is, this was the celebration, wasn't it? When you got the 100 at Trent Bridge, you pointed to her because she'd said something to you just prior. Because I had this tendency of getting to 30 no-vers around 70s and 80s and throwing my wicket off a lot of times in T20 cricket which I have done. So she, in one of the net sessions I was actually batting very well and she came to me and she's like, you know, you still don't have her in T-20-100 and you always keep getting out with playing some stupid shot. I think you're wasting your talent.

So I was like, okay, fine, this tour, this trip I will get one. I'll just like randomly told her so that she shuts up. I wish I could do that. So when you were in the 90s, were you thinking of her? Yeah, I did actually think of her when I was on 90s and I was like, okay, fine, don't do anything wrong now.

Otherwise, I'm going to get told off from her, I guess. I'm like, don't do anything wrong. So that's why I was like quickly just finish this two wonders and finish off because I don't want that stress to come. We've already had you far too long than we said we were going to have you, but we asked our fans to ask you some questions.

so should we finish with some fun ones? Yep. I mean, fan questions are going to be tricky always, but let me. That we'll ask the fun ones, don't worry. Okay, we'll start with this one and it says, who's more annoying, Gemmy or Harleen? Both will kill me. Oh.

I would be very diplomatic and say that they both are very sweet. Yeah, nice. Good answer. I do not agree to it, but I'll still say that. Um, if you were captain and there was six to defend, who would you pick to bowl the ball, the last ball of the game? Would it be me or Alex? I think it would be grossing.

It's not. It wouldn't be me. Yes, thank you, Smitty. We discussed this question before you came on, and I was like, Mandy hit me for six every single time you faced me. And I was like, every ball went for six. Do you remember you nearly killed me in the nets in Hobart? You, because I wasn't very good off my own bowling. You smacked it back at me.

I turned around and it hit me between the shoulder blades. I don't remember the throw. I don't remember my batting. I'll get the throw and I'll put it on the podcast because it was bad. The question was to depend one ball six runs, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah, maybe crossy.

Yeah, thanks, Smitty. Thank you. I had to hit a baseballer six than a winner. And I've been retired for two years. It's fine. Yeah, that's why. That's why. But if it's righty, I would say Alex,

I would just tell her to bowl at her pace outside, like, seventh, eight stump. It would be very hard to hit a six off her pace at that point. Very true. What is your favourite part about playing cricket in the UK? The grounds and the weather. I mean, the ground and the wicket, just lovely wicket to bat on. All the grounds are pretty iconic. Every ground has its own story, so it's always nice.

though it's very hard to sight a ball in England when you're fielding up there, the seats are all white. Yes, true. Designed for test cricket. But yeah, I mean, it's just a very nice vibe and the crowd is amazing always. I think you might have answered this earlier, but if you didn't play cricket, which sport would you play? Sport.

I don't think I would have picked up any other sport. Okay. Because I was very obsessed of batting. I mean, I would maybe choose another field which would be like cooking or chef or something because I love cooking. So yeah, maybe if not cricket, I would not do sports. Because the only thing I love about cricket is batting. So that's my love of my life.

Like batting is something which I can do eight, nine hours, ten hours. As much anyone can ask me to bat. So, so yeah, maybe only cricket. Okay, only cricket. Don't tell Palesh that. He knows that. I just remember sometimes. time back, I was just telling him that, you know, I mean, it's very hard for me to love anything

else in my life more than batting. And he was just like, I know that it's okay. And I'm very happy. And he just said that I hope it stays always in your play. Oh, that's true. Right, we'll finish. We'll do one more going out if you've got one. If you had one bit of advice to give your younger self, what would it be? I mean, stay the same because I was pretty nice. I mean, do the mistakes which I did. I mean, if you don't do those mistakes, how are you going to learn?

You can't be perfect always. So I would say like maybe sometimes I just feel telling myself now that learn from the younger self because I was very active kid. I was like, I was an extremely active kid. I would never sit at home. I would just keep playing something or the other. And now when I look back, like sometimes on tours, I'm like sleep. a lot more than I used to.

So I just feel like telling myself now that please learn from the younger Smriti that how to actually be active. That's an age thing, Smriti. Nearly firsty now. I'm getting old now, yeah. Time to be back? No, gosh no. Thank you so much for joining us.

Yeah, thank you, Smitty. So much more we could have spoken about. We didn't even get onto the World Cup that you've got. at home in October. But thank you, Smitty. This was about you, anyway, not about Team India. So thank you so, so, so much. Thank you so much.

I mean, I keep watching a podcast. You guys are amazing. Thanks, Smitty. Crossie, she speaks so well. That was one of those episodes where we rang each other immediately afterwards, didn't we, to dissect it? Because we were like, what about when she said that? And what about when she did that?

And there was just so much in it. There was one bit that really stuck out for me was the pressure question where you asked her, like, did she feel pressure when she debuted at 17? And she was like, no, I talked to the young girls about that honeymoon period when you first come in and there's no pressure on you whatsoever. And I just think how valuable cheers is a leader in that Indian team at the minute. And you kind of see the reaction to that with the young girls coming in and doing well now. The honeymoon period, that was it.

That stuck with, like, didn't stick with me. But I was like, I remember being like, that's such a nice way to introduce. introduce international cricket or any cricket to anyone that's just started that is playing in pressure situations, be like, no mate, you're good, no one's looking at you, they're looking at everybody else. And it's really true, isn't it? Like how she was saying that actually now, now she has the pressure, now she has the expectation and probably the story about the fact that Radiaado has said to her, like, you've not scored

an international 100 at T20 level, like you should be getting hundreds and she's going, yeah, you know what, you're right. And then I loved how she said that Radha came into her head when. She was in the 90s and that actually got her to 100, which is so impressive really. Like, she, yeah, she was one of my favourite interviews, I reckon. I think, if not the favourite for me.

Because because we could have had her for another 15, 20 minutes. We didn't even get onto the World Cup and she was so willing to give us her time. I know. And then the bit about Palesh, I do genuinely think that that will go pretty big because she is really private about a relationship. And I know they, like, they didn't put much on social media for a few years.

So I think that's going to be a viral clip that we've unearthed, again, from the award-winning, triple-award-winning No Walls Cricket podcast. Well, we had Megan Shue actually announced an international series on the podcast, and now we've had Smitty Mandana introduce or Let the World Know. She's in a relationship. She's definitely let the world know that her first love is batting, which makes a lot of sense because she's very good at it, so. She's in a relationship with cricket.

As most people have to be. Really? Cricket Crossy. Series is done against India. International Summer's done? How mad's that? It's mental. Mental.

Mad, yeah. Yeah, go on. Well, it's just a strange old series, really, wasn't it? But do you know what? A belting game of cricket yesterday. Like, 320 scored. England got off to a real slow start in the chase and did so well to get to 300.

Yeah, I think that was pretty. probably the thought in the dress room afterwards was like, yes, we know we probably didn't bowl as well as we would have liked or field as well as we liked, but we kept ourselves in the game and we showed a lot of fight in that respect and a lot of, like, we should be really proud of ourselves for that. But I guess with a World Cup round the corner, we've quickly got to find ways to just tighten up, I think.

Probably in all aspects, in all three departments. I think yesterday showed that there's a lot of good stuff happening amongst the not so good stuff. So it's really easy to focus on the bad stuff all the time. But actually, can we maybe turn our fortunes around by really focusing on what we're doing quite well at the minute? I think that's what you've got to do as a team, especially leading. There's not enough time before the World Cup start concentrating on the negatives and changing negatives into positives. You've actually post-World Cup got a real good block to work on that sort of stuff. Before then, I think it's like, right, what do we do well?

as a team and let's do that and I actually think the batters have adapted so well to this new new way in inverted commas that lottie wants them to take the game on and it's like being a little bit more sensible batting deeper building you can you can take your time because you're all good enough to catch up and I think that showed yesterday yeah and we said I well obviously I ran the drinks yesterday but I was also I ran a drink out when we were eight for two so I took a drink out to Lammy and she was just saying like you know should I use my feet to deep to should I hit down the ground because I feel like that's one of my strengths and obviously at that point we really had to absorb some pressure

because we were in the shit, let's be honest. And then her and Nat go and put on a 160 run partnership or whatever it was and get us to a point where the total doesn't feel so grand anymore. So there is some really good stuff, obviously. We're disappointed to have lost both series and we knew that of the two series we had this summer that India were going to be the tougher of the two. but we have to learn from it

and that's the main thing that was like the takeaway from yesterday is like go away, have a real reflect on you as a player us as a group you know we go into the 100 well we've got a few Metro Bank 50 over games now where we'll a few people go back and play for county

but then it's the 100 so completely different format but almost going to have to be selfish in the 100 to find a way of going into the next like going into September and that prep camp we've got in Dubai feeling confident that we can go into that World Cup and challenge. Yeah, and it's like, okay, park it done. But on the broader picture of women's cricket,

I know it's really disappointing being an England player and England fan, but India have improved so much, and we knew they would, but quite quickly as well, which obviously Smitty touched on as well. Yeah, yeah, I mean, like, we're not surprised, really, are we? But I think what Smitty said that really stuck with me, again, you don't know it because you're not part of it, is how good the domestic stuff is outside of the WPL.

You know, she was saying how everyone's going back and playing in the other domestic stuff now. So, yeah, they're doing something right over in India. And a lot of countries probably need to be doing that as well. And, you know, we always talk about the top three or top four that are kind of moving away from other countries. But it does just go to show if you do invest at the domestic level, then you see the rewards at England level as well.

Yeah. I know we haven't touched on the England series in detail but that interview with Mandy was far too good to cut any of it short so we'll probably do well we're back every week crossing out we're flying pre-100 it'll be won't it'll be the leading to the hundred the first game of that gosh I only know my first game which is the seventh playing Welsh fire fifth fifth is the first game so god we're not far away from that

do you know what I was saying to the girls the other day like I feel like I've played so, so, so much cricket this summer, but it still doesn't feel like it's time for the 100. I know what you mean. I know what you mean. Like there's been loads of cricket, but it's gone real quick. No, I think it's gone slow. Oh, really?

I think we shouldn't be anywhere near the 100 yet. It feels like I'm still a month away from meeting up. Because to me, the 100 feels like middle of the summer. But then weirdly, international stuff's finished already. So I don't know how I feel really. I'm a bit all over the shop. Well, that's a given, to be fair. Yeah.

Which we're not going to go into. We can talk about that another time. Yeah, we'll let the dust settle, darling. Yeah, thank you. Crossie, we've got a mobile number. Has anyone... People did, actually. They texted, didn't we?

Thank you all for your questions, aren't you? You did. Thank you all for your questions for Smriti as well. Sorry, we couldn't get through. There was genuinely hundreds, wasn't there? So, so many. So thank you all for getting in touch. We tried to get as much out of her as we could

without taking the Mick out of her time. But we hope you enjoyed the episode. It was genuinely one of our favourites. And if you want to get in touch with us, you can text us on 8-1-1-1-1, but start your text message with No-Balls, please. Otherwise, you'll get lost into the abyss of TMS. You actually will, and there's a test match going on at the minute as well,

so you really got to put that. No-Balls capital letters, all one word. Or if you want to go old-school, you can email us on. No-balls podcast at BBC.com.com. noblespodcast at bbc.co.com. It's so good. They said it twice. That should now be,

it's so good, they got a phone number. It's so good they texted twice. Don't text us twice. Just text us twice. No, text us once. Crossy, I'll see you on Friday. See you on Friday?

Barbecue. Barbecue day. I'm doing the pizza order tomorrow. Let me know what you want. All right. You know what I eat pizza-wise. Yeah, yeah. Easy.

See you soon, doll. All right. Bye. Bye. World of Secrets, The Killing Call. A BBC World Service investigation into the murder of Punjabi singer and rapper Sidu Musi Allah. The facts, they aren't out in the open. Why Sidu Musayala, you know?

Uncovering a global criminal underworld that reaches far beyond India's borders. There are so many rumors. No one wants to talk. There might be repercussions. World of Secrets. They're killing call. Listen on BBC Sounds. In Turkey, if you're willing to take a detour,

you'll discover the food, even social media, hasn't got to yet. From Michelin Stars and Wine in Euler to traditional recipes and the home of Backlava in the east. Discover the culinary capital of Gaziantep. And talk to the locals. Every dish has its own story. Flavors, experimentation and tradition, Turkey has it all. Plan your detour at go-turkia.com.