Indian Women’s batting sensation Smriti Mandhana has revealed that she was almost ruled out of the 2017 Women's World Cup after being injured during the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) that year.

She had suffered an ACL injury (ligament tear) during the WBBL in Australia and had to undergo surgery and strenuous rehab but somehow the left-hander managed to find a space in the Indian Women’s team after getting the confidence from her trainers, and especially because of being a batter.

Well, Mandhana had a fine 2017 World Cup campaign, scoring 232 runs in nine matches in the tournament where India had finished runners-up, losing the trophy to England at the Lord's.

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Mandhana said in the fourth episode of 'The Finish Line' hosted by Saurav Ghoshal: “It was quite funny, tearing my ACL while bowling. When I fell during the Big Bash match, I knew that it was a major injury. When I incurred the injury, the first thing I thought about was the World Cup.”

She further recalled, “80 percent of the physios had ruled me out of the World Cup, but there were a few physios and trainers at NCA (National Cricket Academy), who thought that I will be able to make it because I am a batter. I am lucky that I am a left-hander and I put a lot of weight on my right leg and not on my left leg, so all these factors gave the trainers confidence that I can make it to the World Cup.”

Noteworthy, one year later, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named Mandhana as the Best Women's International Cricketer. She was also conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2019. 

(With IANS Inputs)