Smriti Mandhana is an Indian women’s cricketer born on July 18, 1996, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She is a left-handed opening batswoman and has played for the Indian Women’s cricket team since 2013. Mandhana is known for her aggressive stroke play and has been an integral part of the Indian team in all formats of the game.
Early Life and Career
Smriti Mandhana was born to Smita and Shrinivas Mandhana, who were both former district-level cricketers. Her elder brother, Shravan, also played cricket at the district level. Smriti started playing cricket at the age of six and was inspired by her father, who was her first coach. She played cricket with boys until she was 12 years old and then joined the Maharashtra Women’s cricket team at the age of nine.
Mandhana made her debut for the Indian Women’s cricket team in April 2013, in a One Day International (ODI) match against Bangladesh. She was just 16 years old at the time and scored 50 runs in that match, becoming the youngest Indian woman to score a half-century in an international match. Mandhana also made her Twenty20 International (T20I) debut the same year against Bangladesh.
Personal Life: Smriti Mandhana’s favourite cricketer is Kumar Sangakkara, and her favourite actress is Priyanka Chopra. She has also expressed her admiration for Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Smriti is a vegetarian and has been a brand ambassador for PETA India.
International Career
Smriti Mandhana gained recognition in the international cricket world during the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup held in England. She was one of the leading run-scorers in the tournament and played a crucial role in India’s journey to the final. Mandhana scored 90 runs in the first match against England, becoming the first Indian woman to score a half-century in a World Cup match. She also scored a century against the West Indies in the group stage. Despite India’s loss to England in the final, Mandhana’s performance was applauded, and she was named in the tournament’s team of the tournament.
Mandhana’s impressive form continued in the following years, and she became the fastest Indian woman to score 1,000 runs in ODIs, achieving the feat in just 24 innings. In September 2019, she became the second-fastest woman to score 2,000 runs in ODIs, achieving the feat in just 51 innings.
Smriti Mandhana has also played in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, representing the Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, and Western Storm. She has been a consistent performer in the league and has scored two centuries, including a 102* off 61 balls, which is her highest score in T20 cricket.
In 2018, Mandhana was appointed as the captain of the IPL Trailblazers team for the Women’s T20 Challenge, a tournament played during the Indian Premier League (IPL). She led the team to victory in the first edition of the tournament.
Style of Play
Smriti Mandhana is known for her aggressive stroke play and her ability to score quickly. She is a fluent left-handed opener who can hit the ball hard and has a wide range of strokes. Mandhana is also a good fielder and has taken some spectacular catches in her career.
Off the field.
Smriti Mandhana has been a vocal advocate for women’s cricket and has spoken about the need to increase the visibility and popularity of the women’s game. She has been involved in various campaigns to promote women’s cricket, including the #IPlayFor campaign launched by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017.
Mandhana has also been recognized for her achievements both on and off the field. She was named the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s Player of the Year in 2018.
Conclusion: Smriti Mandhana is one of the most talented cricketers in the Indian women’s cricket team. She has consistently performed well in both ODIs and T20s and has become one of the key players in the team.
