Harman Di And Smriti Di Have Built This Team Over The Years : Radha Yadav

Having bided her time on the sidelines, Radha Yadav returned to India's T20I setup and is keen to play her part as the Women in Blue chase their maiden ICC Women's T20 World Cup title in England and Wales. Speaking on JioStar, the India spinner reflected on her comeback, how franchise cricket has helped bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket, and the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. 

Speaking on JioStar, Radha Yadav opened up about her comeback to the Indian team and the improvements she made to her skillset: 

"I am rejoining the T20I team after almost a gap of 11 months. It feels good to be back. Recently, we played the WPL. In that tournament, I added quite a few things to my game, especially how to hit with more power, how to score quickly in the death overs, and how to vary my pace and use my variations better with the ball. I have worked on all those aspects of my game. The Indian team staff has also backed me a lot. They have been very open with me. They gave me the freedom to set things according to my own way. So, having that backing makes a huge difference." 

On the continuous learning process as a spinner: 

"Personally, I learn a lot from everyone around me, teammates, coaches, even opponents. Learning never stops as long as you are playing the game. If you don't understand something about your own game, you can watch others and pick up things. Watching how they bowl, how they set their field, how they handle pressure, all of it helps. Our conversations are always about how to take wickets and how to keep the run rate down. As a spinner, that is our job. We can't do too many extra things. We have to stick to our strengths, use our variations, and keep hitting the right areas."

On how the TATA WPL has bridged the gap between domestic and international cricket:

"Not everyone gets to play a lot of cricket before stepping onto the international stage. Moving directly from domestic to international cricket is not easy. There is a huge jump in quality and pressure. Luckily, now there is the WPL, so players get some exposure to international-level competition before playing for India. That helps them adjust faster. But in our time, it wasn't like that. We played domestic cricket and then directly moved to internationals. There was no middle ground. Now, the young players who are coming in have already polished their skills. They adapt much faster. By the time they reach the national team, they just need a little push, some guidance on handling pressure and adapting to different situations. Nothing more." 

On the invaluable contributions of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana to the team: 

Credit goes to both Harman Di and Smriti Di, their inputs for the team have always been very important over the years. Whenever there is a tough situation, whether it's with the bat, on the field, or in the dressing room, they are always there to guide us. We have seen for years how both of them have built this team. They have led from the front and also helped the youngsters coming in. They make sure that every new player feels like they belong. Whoever comes into the team gets enough freedom to express their skills and be themselves."