Smriti Mandhana: The Girl Who Turned a Promise into Glory
Smriti Mandhana’s journey from Sangli to the world stage is built on promise, passion, and perseverance. Her story reflects how dreams,love and hard work, can truly come home.
Smriti Mandhana was born on 18 July 1996 in Mumbai and raised in Sangli, Maharashtra, in a cricket-loving family. Her father, Shrinivas, and brother, Shravan, were local cricketers, while her mother, Smita, managed the home and often worried about her daughter’s uncertain future in women’s cricket.
At age nine, Smriti joined Maharashtra’s Under-15 team and promised her mother that one day she would buy their family a proper house. Trained by coach Anant Tambvekar on a turf pitch her family built in Sangli, her journey was filled with grit and sacrifice.
In 2013, at just 17, Smriti made history by scoring 224 runs in a one-day U-19 match, the first Indian woman to hit a double century. She soon debuted for India, becoming a fan favorite with her elegant batting. A severe knee injury in 2017 tested her spirit, but her comeback was remarkable. She went on to win the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award in 2018 and 2021.
Fulfilling her childhood promise, she bought her family a home in Sangli, calling it her “peace place.” Smriti later became the highest-paid player in the Women’s Premier League, leading RCB to their first title.
Vice-captain of Team India, Smriti is the first Indian woman to score centuries in all three formats and holds multiple national records.
Her 434 runs in the 2025 World Cup made her the top Indian scorer. Smriti Mandhana’s story is one of resilience, grace, and gratitude proving that dreams built on love and hard work always find their way home.
