"It is not because of Smriti Mandhana or Virat Kohli, but both are my favorite players" - Phoebe Litchfield on jersey number 18
Young Australian left-hander Phoebe Litchfield has her jersey number as 18 and many have wondered whether that is because she idolizes the likes of star Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana, who also share the same number. However, while Litchfield admires the two cricketers, she claims that it is just a coincidence that her jersey number is 18.
Litchfield agreed that Kohli and Mandhana are among her favorite cricketers and that their achievements inspire her. Being a left-hander, she also likes to watch young Yashasvi Jaiswal bat.
Speaking to India Today, here's what Phoebe Litchfield said:
"Many people know that my jersey number is 18. It is not because of Smriti Mandhana or Virat Kohli, but funnily enough, both are my favourite players. It is hard to go past Kohli. I also like Yashasvi Jaiswal. He is a good batter to watch, and I like him because he is a lefty as well."
Aged just 21, Litchfield has already played 20 ODIs for Australia, scoring 652 runs at an impressive average of 40.75 with two hundreds and four half-centuries to her name.
Phoebe Litchfield on learning from Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana is not just one of Phoebe Litchfield's favorite players but also someone that the young Australian has had a chat about and has learned from. Both the left-handers have been a part of Sydney Thunder, while Litchfield has also shared the dressing room with Jemimah Rodrigues at Northern Superchargers in the Women's Hundred.
Here's what she said about both the Indian players:
"They really helped me. Both are amazing batters and just to talk about batting and how they go about scoring runs are beneficial. I talked to Smriti quite a bit about the left-handed approach to batting; technique wise and the way you gain power."
Litchfield also shed light on her learnings from Rodrigues and highlighted how they spoke about manipulating the field to use their shots to full advantage.