At three, she wielded a plastic bat. Seventeen years later, she is an integral part of the Indian women’s cricket team. A player with a passion, Smriti Mandhana fought against all odds, including knee injury, to be a part of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Her excellent performance in the World Cup against England and West Indies, made her the centre of attraction.
Born on July 18, 1996 in Mumbai to Smita and Shrinivas Mandhana, Smriti displayed her penchant for cricket at an early age. Her father, and brother, Shravan, played cricket at the district-level, and she was not to be left behind. She always accompanied her brother to the nets. When she was nine she was first chosen to play in Maharashtra’s Under-15 team. By the time she was 11, she was selected for the Maharashtra Under-19s team.
In an interview, she said, “I used to tell my mother that I too want my name in the newspapers, like my brother. Therefore, I got dedicated, as cricket is the only sport in India through which it is possible to be in the papers for a long time.”
Injured
In September 2016, Smriti and Harmanpreet Kaur were signed up for a one-year deal with Brisbane Heat, women’s cricket team based in Brisbane, Australia, for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). They were the first two Indians to be signed up for the League. While playing a match she suffered a fall and injured her knee. She could not play the rest of the tournament.
Words of praise
Shubhangi Kulkarni, the women’s representative at BCCI and ICC, said in an interview, “The way she has come back from the injury talks a lot about her mental strength. She has got talent, temperament and skills.”
