Senior england

ODI World Cup: Senior England batter Heather Knight acknowledged the threat posed by India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana ahead of their crucial 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup clash, as she admitted that keeping the left-handed batter quiet will be a real challenge for the visitors.

After having scores of 8, 23 and 23, Smriti came back into top form by hitting 80 against Australia in Visakhapatnam, though it went in vain as India lost the game by three wickets. The hosts will be hoping Smriti and skipper Harmanpreet will be amongst runs when India take on England in a marquee game at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday.

“She hasn’t changed much from when I first played against her, which says a lot considering the level of fame she has now. She’s still the same old Smriti. She’s also incredibly hard to keep quiet with the bat, which will be a big challenge for us when we play India.”