'I'm nowhere near him' - Smriti Mandhana reacts to comparisons with former Bangalore captain Virat Kohli

Smriti Mandhana & Virat Kohli (Image credit: Twitter)

Smriti Mandhana-led Bangalore started their campaign in the inaugural edition of the Women's T20 League (WTL) but it was not the start they wanted. It was a comprehensive win for Delhi Women as they batted Bangalore Women out of the game and defended a mammoth score of 224, their bowlers held their nerves. Bangalore lost Sunday's thriller by 60 runs after Delhi bowler Tara Norris tore through the batting line-up. However, Mandhana said her team will take positives from the last game and will come back harder in the next match against Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium on March 6.

Indian women's star opener Smriti Mandhana created history by becoming the most expensive pick in the WTL 2023 auction. She was the first pick of the Bangalore franchise for Rs 3.2 crore and was given the responsibility of leading the team. While Virat Kohli is the face of the Bangalore men's team, Mandhana is the face of their women's team. Even though Kohli is not the captain of the franchise now, he remains a top player as he has become a crowd puller over the years with his breathtaking innings.

Mandhana wants to achieve what Virat Kohli achieved for Bangalore

Comparisons were and still are with Kohli and Mandhana, and interestingly, both play for the same franchise and both have the same jersey number (18) for Bangalore and Team India. However, speaking to reporters recently, Mandhana opened up about the comparisons with the ace batter, saying that she is nowhere close to the former Indian captain and does not like the comparisons.

"I don't like the kind of comparison because what he (Kohli) has achieved is amazing. I just hope that I reach that level, but I'm nowhere near. What he has achieved for this franchise (Bangalore), I would like to try and do that," she said.

Bangalore is one of the teams that have been a part of the Indian T20 League since its inception but have not been able to lift the trophy. Under Kohli, the franchise had a memorable tournament in 2016 where they made it to the final but heartbreakingly lost to Hyderabad. Leading the women's team, Mandhana aims to end Bangalore's wait to win the title.