ODI World Cup:<\/b> India captain Smriti Mandhana said the biggest change since the team\u2019s 2025 Women\u2019s World Cup triumph on home soil has been the respect women\u2019s cricket commands now, and the way its players have become household names in the country.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNot a lot of things have changed in a way, but the respect women\u2019s cricket has got in the last one year after the World Cup, and to see people really being involved a lot more, I think that\u2019s something which has been a really pleasing change for me. To just see everyone kind of becoming a household name is a very pleasing sight,\u201d Smriti told JioStar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Looking back on the day of the final against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Smriti remembered the send-off the side got from fans at their hotel, even as the rain poured down.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cA very good sight was that, even though it was raining, there were around 1,000 people outside our bus, outside the hotel, actually seeing us off. It was a very good sight for us, and it gave us a lot of positivity. Even in the rain, people were standing there, getting wet, but trying to give us all their best wishes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Opener Shafali Verma, who became the Player of the Match in the World Cup-winning final for her knock of 87 and picking two scalps, spoke about her partnership with Smriti at the top of the order, adding that the duo now understand each other so well that they barely need words to communicate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cA very good sight was that, even though it was raining, there were around 1,000 people outside our bus, outside the hotel, actually seeing us off. It was a very good sight for us, and it gave us a lot of positivity. Even in the rain, people were standing there, getting wet, but trying to give us all their best wishes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> Special Cricket Stories<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n