I don't think I love anything more than cricket: Smriti Mandhana

It has been 12 years since she first donned India colours and in all these years Smriti Mandhana has realised one thing --- that there is nothing in the world that "she loves more" than the game of cricket.

India's greatest left-handed woman batter, Mandhana reflected on her journey from making her debut back in 2013 to playing a big role in team's World Cup triumph a month back.

Reflecting on what drives her, Mandhana added, "I don't think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing that Indian jersey is the motivation that drives us. You keep all your problems aside, and that thought alone helps you focus on life," she said at the Amazon Sambhav Summit here on Wednesday.

She always had clarity about her ambition. "As a kid, the madness for batting was always there. No one understood it, but in my mind, I always wanted to be called a world champion."

Mandhana said the trophy felt like a culmination of the team’s long struggle. "This World Cup was the reward for the battle we fought over the years. We were waiting for it so badly. I’ve been playing for more than 12 years — many times things didn’t go our way. We visualised it before the final, and when we finally saw it on the screen, it gave us goosebumps. It was an incredible, special moment," the Indian vice-captain said.

Mandhana said the presence of veterans Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami at the final heightened the emotion. "We really wanted to do it for them, badly. Seeing tears in their eyes made it feel like women's cricket itself was winning. It was a battle won for all of them," she said.

Mandhana said the World Cup reinforced two enduring lessons. "You always start an innings at zero, no matter if you scored a hundred before. And don't play for yourself - that's what we kept reminding each other," she said.

Incidentally, this was Mandhana's first public appearance since she called off her marriage with musician Palash Mucchal.