Smriti Mandhana

Arguably one of the best players in the world, Mandhana is the second Indian women’s cricketer to feature in a foreign T20 league. An attacking left- handed opening batswoman, Mandhana has grown as a cricketer ever since her India debut in 2013.

At just 11 years old, Mandhana was fast-tracked to the Maharashtra under-19 side. Four years later she was promoted to the senior team and announced her arrival with a stunning 155 on debut against a good Saurashtra bowling attack.

Her breakthrough came in 2013 when she became the first Indian woman to achieve a double-ton in an ODI match, scoring an unbeaten 224-run knock off just 150 balls in a West Zone Under-19 tournament.

In the same year, Mandhana made her international debut in a T20I game against Bangladesh and played a quickfire knock of 39 to guide India home.

The attacking player made her much awaited Test debut against England in 2014 and in the second innings of her debut match, she slammed her maiden Test 50 as the Indian team defeated England in their own backyard.

In the second ODI of India’s tour of Australia, Mandhana scored her maiden international century (102), in a losing cause. 

In 2016, Mandhana signed up for the Brisbane Heat and alongside Harmanpreet Kaur, became one of the first two Indians to sign up for the league. She scored 89 runs in 12 innings and was ruled out of the tournament after a knee injury she suffered during the tournament.

Despite suffering a serious knee injury in the WBBL 2016, Mandhana was included in the Indian squad for the 2017 Women’s World Cup. She started the tournament with a bang, scoring 90 runs against England and followed it up with her second century in ODI cricket (106*) against the Windies. India reached the finals of the tournament, but eventually lost to England.

The opener was part of the Western Storm squad for the 2018 Kia Women’s T20 Super League tournament. In a match against Lancashire, Mandhana blasted a 60-ball hundred and finished her innings on 102, and was the top scorer at the end of the tournament.

For her scintillating performances in the ODI format, where Mandhana averaged nearly 66.90, she was adjudged the ICC Women’s cricketer of the year for 2018, as well as the ICC ODI player of the year. 

In February 2019, Mandhana smashed the fastest fifty for India in a T20I off just 24 deliveries. 

Mandhana is the present and the future of this Indian team. A great strokeplayer who loves to take on the bowling attack, Mandhana is currently at the peak of her career, and the Indian team management will be hoping that she continues to perform at the highest level for the nation. 

(As of Mar 21)