Mumbai, July 17: The popularity of women’s cricket in India is on the rise. Fans are flocking to stadiums in large numbers to watch matches, while many are glued to their mobile devices and televisions. A significant factor in this surge is Smriti Mandhana, the left-handed opening batswoman and vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, who has played a pivotal role in popularizing the sport with her aggressive batting style.
Fans chant “Mandhana” in the stands, a testament to her immense success. In terms of popularity, Mandhana rivals some of the country’s top male cricketers.
Born on July 18, 1996, in Mumbai, Mandhana comes from a cricketing family; both her father and brother were cricketers. This influence led her to pursue the sport. In an interview, she mentioned that her father preferred left-handed batsmen, which inspired her to become one.
At the age of nine, Mandhana made her mark by joining the Maharashtra Under-15 team, and by eleven, she was part of the state’s Under-19 squad. Her consistent performances in domestic cricket culminated in a significant milestone in 2013, when she made her international debut in a T20 match against Bangladesh on April 5.
Since her debut, Mandhana has become a key player across all formats for the Indian women’s cricket team. She is regarded as one of the team’s most significant match-winners.
Looking at her career, Mandhana debuted in Tests in 2014, One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2013, and T20s in 2013. Over her 13-year career, she has amassed impressive statistics: 788 runs in 16 Test innings with 2 centuries and 5 fifties, 5,411 runs in 120 ODI innings with 14 centuries and 35 fifties, and 4,538 runs in 165 T20 innings with 1 century and 35 fifties.
Mandhana, often referred to as the poster girl of Indian women’s cricket, has achieved numerous accolades. She is the second cricketer, after Australia’s Ellyse Perry, to win the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award twice. Mandhana holds the record for the fastest century by an Indian woman in ODIs (off 50 balls) and is the second-most successful Indian batter in ODIs after Mithali Raj. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all three formats and ranks second for the most centuries in ODIs. Additionally, she is the first female player to score over 1,000 runs in a calendar year in women’s cricket and holds the record for the most centuries (4) in ODIs in a single calendar year.
Now 30 years old, Mandhana is a strong contender to become the full-time captain of the Indian women’s cricket team after Harmanpreet Kaur. With at least 5-6 years of international cricket ahead of her, if she maintains her current form, she is poised to achieve even more remarkable milestones in women’s cricket. As a captain, she has already demonstrated her leadership skills by leading Royal Challengers Bangalore to two titles in the Women’s Premier League.
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