Ahead of a key Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash, India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was seen receiving batting tips from Australian great Matthew Hayden to fine-tune her technique for English conditions after India’s five-wicket win over Bangladesh.
Team India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was spotted having a conversation with former Australia batting star Matthew Hayden after the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Bangladesh at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester on Thursday, June 25.
The Women in Blue kept their semifinal hopes alive with a crucial five-wicket win over Bangladesh. With a 137-run target, the Women in Blue chased it down in 16.5 overs or with 19 balls to spare. Shafali Varma led the run chase with a brilliant 53-run knock, while Jemimah Rodrigues (26), Yastika Bhatia (23), and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (13*) helped the Women in Blue cross the finish line with 3.5 overs left to spare.
Earlier, Radha Yadav (3/28) and Shree Charani (2/21) shared the spoils with the ball to restrict the opposition to a manageable total of 136/8 in their allotted 20 overs, despite resilient batting displays from Juairiya Ferdous (33) and captain Nigar Sultana (32) that threatened to set a more imposing target.
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Mandhana’s Batting Masterclass from Hayden
After Team India defeated against Bangladesh, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was seen soaking in valuable insights from the Australian legend Matthew Hayden near the boundary line.
In a video posted by Star Sports on its X handle (formerly Twitter), Hayden, who is part of the commentary panel for the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, was seen providing some batting tips, especially focusing on refined grip mechanics and strong weight transfer to optimize her aggressive off-side stroke play on the lively English tracks.
The former Australian opener was providing batting insights by physically demonstrating a high-elbow forward defence and sharing tips on weight transfer when playing forward on the lively English pitches, which Smriti Mandhana was listening to intently, mimicking his stance and absorbing the legend’s valuable advice ahead of a crucial phase in the tournament.
Known for his aggressive style of batting during his playing days, Matthew Hayden was seen passing on a wealth of his knowledge to one of the most important batters for India women’s team, aiming to help her tackle the swing conditions in England and dominate opposition attacks as the tournament progresses.
How did Smriti Mandhana Perform in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026?
Smriti Mandhana is playing her seventh consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup, having previously featured in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023, and 2024 editions of the tournament. In the ongoing edition, the left-handed opener is currently the standout batter for the Women in Blue.
In the opening match, Smriti Mandhana scored a fluent 68 off 44 balls against arch-rivals Pakistan, before playing a brilliant knock of 74 off 47 balls against the debutants Netherlands, wherein she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first cricketer (male or female) to reach 600 boundaries in T20 Internationals.
In the next two matches, Mandhana scored 17 and 8 against South Africa and Bangladesh, respectively. Minor hiccups aside, she remains an indispensable pillar of the Indian batting lineup as they approach the business end of the tournament, with India aiming for a spot in the semifinal.
In four matches, Smriti Mandhana has aggregated 167 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 153.21. In her T20 World Cup career, Smriti has amassed 691 runs, including six fifties, at an average of 24.67 and a strike rate of 121.86 in 29 matches.
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