She Stories
Smriti Mandhana: The Girl Who Dreamed Big and Changed Indian Cricket
By Ananya Varma
Some dreams begin quietly. A child watches a cricket match, picks up a bat and starts imagining herself on the biggest stage. For Smriti Mandhana, that dream began in Maharashtra and eventually took her to the highest levels of international cricket.
Today, Mandhana is one of the most recognisable faces of Indian women's cricket. Her elegant batting, consistency and determination have made her a role model for millions of young girls who dream of playing the sport professionally.
Her journey is not just about runs and records. It is about believing in a dream long before the world starts believing in you.
A cricketing dream from Sangli
Mandhana grew up in Sangli, Maharashtra, in a family with a strong connection to cricket. Her father, Shrinivas Mandhana, played cricket at the district level and later became involved in her early development.
Watching her brother play cricket also influenced her.
As a young girl, Mandhana began playing the sport seriously. Her talent soon became difficult to ignore.
The left-handed batter eventually progressed through age-group cricket before making her senior domestic breakthrough.
From a young player to India's international star
Mandhana made her international debut for India in 2013.
She was still a teenager when she entered international cricket, beginning a career that would eventually span more than a decade.
Her batting style immediately attracted attention.
The trademark cover drive, timing and ability to attack bowlers made her one of the most exciting young batters in women's cricket.
But talent alone could not have carried her this far.
Behind the elegant shots was years of training, discipline and the willingness to keep improving.
Success did not come overnight
Mandhana's career also included difficult moments.
Injuries interrupted her progress, including a serious knee injury that forced her to miss important cricket. Rather than allowing setbacks to define her career, she worked her way back.
Her ability to return from difficult periods became one of the defining characteristics of her journey.
Every comeback added another layer to her career.
Becoming a global cricket star
As her performances became more consistent, Mandhana established herself as one of India's most important batters.
She has represented India across formats and has also played franchise cricket overseas, including in competitions such as the Women's Big Bash League and The Hundred.
Her achievements have brought individual recognition as well.
Mandhana was named ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year in 2018 and 2021, while she also won the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award for 2024.
The World Cup dream
For Mandhana, success was never only about personal records.
In an interview ahead of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, she recalled watching Australia command enormous respect in world cricket when she was a teenager.
That experience helped shape one of her ambitions: she wanted India to earn the same respect on the global stage.
That ambition became reality in 2025 when India won its first ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.
Mandhana scored 45 in the final against South Africa and was part of the opening partnership that helped India make a strong start. India eventually won the final by 52 runs.
For a player who had dreamed of giving Indian women's cricket that level of recognition, it was a defining moment.
Breaking records and making history
Mandhana's journey reached another remarkable milestone in September 2026.
During India's Women's Asia Cup campaign, she scored 124 from 64 balls against Hong Kong, China.
That innings took her past former India captain Mithali Raj to become the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket across formats.
At the same time, her century took her international tally to 18 hundreds, moving her past Australia's Meg Lanning for the most centuries in women's international cricket.
These numbers are more than statistics. They represent more than a decade of consistency at the highest level.
More than a cricketer
What makes Mandhana's journey particularly inspiring is the influence she has had beyond the boundary.
A generation ago, many young girls in India had limited visibility of women cricketers. Today, players such as Mandhana have become household names.
Young girls can see women representing India in packed stadiums, playing professional leagues around the world and breaking records.
Mandhana is part of the generation that helped make that possible.
The lesson from Smriti Mandhana's journey
Smriti Mandhana's story is not about becoming successful overnight.
It is about starting young, working hard, surviving setbacks and continuing to improve.
She entered international cricket as a teenager. More than a decade later, she had become a World Cup winner and the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket across formats.
Her journey carries a message for every young girl with a dream:
You don't need everyone to believe in your dream at the beginning. Sometimes, you just need to keep working until your results speak for you.
Smriti Mandhana did exactly that.
And in doing so, she didn't just build a remarkable cricket career—she helped inspire an entire generation to believe that there is a place for them on the biggest stage.