Smriti Mandhana Explained: India Women's Star Opening Batter
How a left-handed opening batter from Maharashtra became India Women's most celebrated modern cricketer and one of the best batters in international women's cricket.
Smriti Mandhana (born 18 July 1996 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is a left-handed opening batter who has become India Women's most celebrated modern cricketer. She is widely regarded as one of the best women's batters in the world, known for her elegant technique, her ability to attack in all conditions, and her consistency across all three formats.
ICC Women's Player of the Year
Mandhana has won the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award multiple times, recognising her as the dominant player across the global women's game in those years. This is the highest individual honour in women's cricket and is determined by peer votes, statistical performance and the opinion of a cricket panel — the fact she has won it more than once demonstrates sustained excellence, not a one-season flash.
Left-Handed Opening Batter
Mandhana opens the batting for India Women across all three formats. Her left-handed style is aesthetically pleasing — she drives through the off side, pulls and cuts on the back foot, and sweeps with precision against spin. Left-handed batters are valued partly for the variety they provide at the top of the order: a left-right combination opening pair changes the angles for bowlers, and Mandhana's left-handedness combined with her stroke play makes her one of T20 cricket's most watchable batters.
Women's Premier League (WPL)
The Women's Premier League was launched by the BCCI in 2023 as a five-team T20 franchise competition for women cricketers. It brought international women's players from around the world to India, similar to how the IPL brings men's international players. The WPL is considered one of the most significant investments in women's cricket in history — it will professionalize women's cricket in India and raise the standard of the global women's game over the next decade.
India Women's Cricket
India Women's cricket has grown enormously in profile over the past decade. The 2017 ICC Women's World Cup final — where India were beaten by England in a close match — was a watershed moment that attracted a huge television audience in India and demonstrated the potential of women's cricket as a spectator sport. Mandhana was a central figure in that tournament and has remained the face of India Women's cricket since.
Frequently asked questions
What awards has Smriti Mandhana won?
Mandhana has won the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award multiple times — the highest individual honour in women's cricket. She has also won multiple ICC Women's T20I and ODI Player of the Year awards.
Where is Smriti Mandhana from?
She was born on 18 July 1996 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and grew up in Sangli in Maharashtra.
What is the Women's Premier League (WPL)?
The WPL is a five-team T20 franchise competition for women cricketers launched by the BCCI in 2023. It is the women's equivalent of the IPL and is one of the most significant investments in women's cricket in history.