Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana was born on 18 July 1996 in Mumbai, later moving with her family to Madhavnagar in Sangli, Maharashtra at age two. Raised in a cricket-loving Marwari household, her father Shrinivas played district-level cricket, while her brother Shravan also took to the field. Encouraged to bat left-handed by her father, following his admiration for Sourav Ganguly, Smriti began training under coach Anant Tambwekar. From age nine, she rose quickly in Maharashtra’s Under-15 and Under-19 squads.
Mandhana is known for her elegant yet aggressive left-handed strokeplay, combining timing, wrist work, and off-side finesse. Her disciplined lifestyle includes structured training and strength routines, reflecting her professionalism and competitive edge. Off the field, she is warm, focused, and deeply passionate about cricket, describing herself as someone who loved batting “for the love of it”. She enjoys watching football and tennis and is an admitted Cristiano Ronaldo fan.
Smriti remains close to her supportive family, especially her father and brother, both influential in her cricketing journey. Since 2019, she has been in a relationship with music composer and filmmaker Palash Muchhal. Known for her humility and grounded personality, she balances fame with a focus on personal growth.
Smriti burst onto the domestic scene in October 2013, becoming the first Indian woman to score a double-century in a one-day match — an unbeaten 224 off 150 balls for Maharashtra Under-19s. She went on to top-score in the 2016 Challenger Trophy and helped India Red lift the title. In domestic cricket, she has consistently represented Maharashtra since 2010. Her performances led to selections in overseas leagues, including Brisbane Heat, Western Storm, Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Thunder, and notably Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL.
Smriti made her ODI and T20I debut against Bangladesh in April 2013 at just 16, followed by her Test debut vs England in August 2014, scoring 51 in the second innings . She earned her maiden international century—102 runs—against Australia in Hobart in 2016. Though she suffered an ACL rupture during WBBL 2017, she returned strength-to-strength, delivering strong knocks in the 2017 and 2020 World Cups, earning runner-up finishes. She has accumulated 2 Test hundreds, 11 ODI hundreds, and 1 T20I hundred, becoming the first Indian woman to score centuries in all three formats.
In December 2024, she set a record with 1,602 international runs in the calendar year—just ahead of former record-holder Laura Wolvaardt, also topping T20I runs in the year. Early July 2025 saw her first-ever T20I century (112) against England, propelling India to victory and cementing her position as a top-ranked T20 opener. In June 2025, she reclaimed the ICC ODI batting crown with 727 rating points.
| Format | M | Inn | Runs | BF | HS | Avg | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 7 | 12 | 629 | 987 | 149 | 57.18 | 63.73 |
| ODI | 102 | 102 | 4,473 | 5,095 | 136 | 46.59 | 87.80 |
| T20 | 152 | 146 | 3,974 | 3,206 | 112 | 30.11 | 123.96 |
In the inaugural WPL auction (February 2023), RCB broke the bank for Mandhana, shelling ₹3.4 crore—making her the league’s most expensive player. She was named captain and, despite a rocky first season, led the team to its first WPL title in 2024. That year, Mandhana scored 300 runs in 10 matches, ranking second in tournament totals and earning ICC’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024. Ahead of WPL 2025, she remains central to RCB’s title defense.
Mandhana’s rise faced a major challenge with an anterior cruciate ligament tear during WBBL 2017. The injury sidelined her for five months, causing her to miss the 2017 World Cup Qualifier and other events. However, she bounced back impressively, scoring two significant World Cup centuries in 2017 and finishing strongly thereafter . Since then, she has avoided major injuries and enhanced her fitness, allowing her to play the majority of international fixtures and WPL seasons, notably producing record-breaking performances throughout 2024 and 2025.
