CWG 2022: Wouldn't term Australia a big team, says Smriti Mandhana

Days before women's cricket makes its debut at the multi-sport event, Mandhana refused to call the five-time T20 world champions a big team. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will open its campaign against Australia on July 29, and Mandhana said they have their plans in place for each opposition. "We have played them (Australia) in the openers in quite a lot of tournaments. "In a T20 tournament, any team can beat any team. I wouldn't term Australia as a big team and make them feel good about that. Definitely in our heads, Australia, Pakistan and Barbados matches are important. We will go as they come and will look to win all of them," Mandhana said.

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Women cricketers will get to experience the vibe of a multi-sporting event for the very first time as the sport hopes to generate global eyeballs when it returns to the Commonwealth Games after 24 long years.

For the record, India lost to Australia in their last T20 World Cup game earlier this year. India, though, will enter the Birmingham CWG after winning the T20I and ODI series in Sri Lanka recently, and Smriti said, "Our preparations have been really good and I hope it will lead us to the medal." "Aiming for gold, not just podium"Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's gold medal winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics last year gave her goosebumps, and Mandhana and her teammates will look to take inspiration from that when they compete in their first multi-sport event. As the sport marks its return to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since Kuala Lumpur 1998 in the form of women's T20 cricket, the star India opener said they would strive to win no less than a gold medal. "We all have