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Smriti Mandhana gave up science in school—and a likely career in hospitality—with no regrets. By the age of 20, she had already achieved what most can only dream of: a century in a World Cup, another in Australia, a double century in domestic one-day cricket, and the distinction of being only the second Indian woman to feature in a foreign T20 league. Mandhana’s cricketing journey began at the age of nine when she signed up for cricket trials “just for fun.” Inspired by her older brother, she mimicked his left-handed batting despite being naturally right-handed. Her talent was evident early; she broke into the Maharashtra Under-19 team at just 11, and by 15, she was in the senior state team. She announced her arrival with a brilliant 155 on debut against Saurashtra in domestic cricket. In 2014, she made her Test debut, scoring a crucial half-century in India’s historic win in England. Though her early outings in the World T20 and the Women’s Big Bash League didn’t reflect her potential, Mandhana bounced back strongly at the 2017 World Cup, producing two stellar performances after a lengthy layoff due to an ACL injury. Her attacking display during the 2017 World Cup—especially against England—proved timely, earning her a spot in the ECB’s Women's Cricket Super League. From there, her rise was unstoppable. By 2019, Mandhana was a core part of India’s batting line-up and a leader in the making. At 22, she became India’s youngest T20I captain, leading the side in a series against England. That same year, she was named International Woman Cricketer of the Year at the CEAT International Cricket Awards. Mandhana registered her maiden Test century in 2021 against England and continued to shine across all formats. She played a key role in India’s silver medal finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and their gold medal win at the 2023 Asian Games. Globally recognized as one of the finest top-order batters, Mandhana became a sought-after player in T20 leagues. She featured for the Southern Brave in the inaugural edition of The Hundred and, by 2025, had played for four different WBBL franchises. Arguably her crowning achievement came in 2024, when she led the Royal Challengers Bangalore to their first-ever title , clinching the Women's Premier League (WPL) trophy. The victory not only marked RCB’s maiden championship in any format but also cemented Mandhana’s legacy as a leader who delivered when it mattered most.
