Highlights
- Mandhana has been felicitated with the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
- Smriti Mandhana has been named as the vice-captain of the India women's team for CWG 2022
Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women's team turns 26 today. The left-handed batsman who has been a pillar of Indian women's cricket was born in Mumbai on July 18, 1996
"More than my dream it was my family's dream that I play for India and they have always supported me", says Smriti Mandhana, a talisman of Indian women's cricket who has stamped her authority over the gentleman's game and is now all set to be Harmanpreet Kaur's wingman in the upcoming Commonwealth Games which is scheduled to be played in Birmingham starting July 28, 2022.
Mandhana who is only the second Indian cricketer to receive call-ups to play in a foreign T20I league has a World Cup century to her credit, a double ton in domestic one-day internationals, and all of this, just at the meager age of 26. Smriti had to make loads of sacrifices before she could participate in serious cricketing action. The left-handed batter, a monocled teenager first gave up science in school and an almost certain career in hospitality to turn her cricketing dreams into reality.
Irrespective of the plans destiny had for her, Mandhana as a kid started to attend cricket trials for fun, as a getaway from her rigorous academic routines. It was her elder brother's influence on her that inspired Mandhana to bat left-handed. At the meager age of 11, she was fast-tracked into the Maharashtra under-19 team and her impactful performances earned her a spot in the senior team after four years. The Mumbai-based batter was quick to showcase her talent and struck a splendid 155 on debut against the mighty Saurashtra side.
It was just a matter of time for Mandhana to receive her call-up for the national team, and when she earned the India cap, she proved to the world that she belonged to the international arena. Smriti played a crucial role in India's historic Test win in England in 2014 by scoring a gritty 50. Just like any other sportsperson, specifically cricketers, Mandhana hit a rough patch as she could not deliver in two successive editions of the World T20 and her debut Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) but things were about to change both for Mandhana and women's cricket in the 2017 edition of the Women's World Cup.
With oozing class and elegance, Mandhana set the World Cup stage ablaze. Before she could realize it, Mandhana had been announced as the most eligible bachelor in the country. Since then Smriti has never looked back and to date, she plays an instrumental role in spreading the good word for the women's edition of the gentleman's game.
