18:51 IST:
India head coach Amol Muzumdar has a chat. He evaluates the performance of this series very positively. He admits there was a big challenge after the World Cup as to how the team would fare, but he is happy with how the players have responded and the spirit they have shown throughout the series. Reflecting on the 2025 FIFA World Cup, Muzumdar describes the campaign as surreal and calls it a big moment in the lives of everyone involved. He shares that while 2025 has brought some good memories and some tough ones, he feels the World Cup experience was as rewarding as they could have hoped for. He points to a significant shift in thinking within the group and emphasizes that the team has tried to approach each game and each opposition in its own way. Muzumdar adds that the tour of England and the tri-series in Sri Lanka have given a lot of confidence heading into the World Cup. Amol calls Smriti Mandhana a special player of the team. He highlights her remarkable consistency and fluidity, describing her as a perfect role model in the dressing room. He mentions that he’s been counting her hundreds for the past two years and believes she’s made around 11 points in that time. Looking ahead, he believes the Women’s T20 League will provide valuable insights into team combinations. With tours of Australia and England in the first half of 2026, he adds there is plenty of cricket to be played before the World Cup and hopes the management team will agree on the right combination and overall composition.
