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JANUARY 02, 2026 | The Indian Eye 31

SPORTS STARS OF 2025

Smriti Mandhana and the Year She

Ruled Women’s Cricket

In 2025, Smriti Mandhana turned brilliance into dominance, redefining excellence

in Indian women’s cricket with a season for the ages.

f Indian women’s cricket had a feature of her 2025 season: she fin-
single, unmistakable face in 2025, ished as strongly as she began.
Iit was Smriti Mandhana. Elegant Mandhana also completed a rare
yet ruthless, consistent yet capable of and historic treble by scoring centu-
decisive bursts, Mandhana produced ries in all three formats—Tests, ODIs,
one of the greatest individual years the and T20Is—becoming the first Indian
women’s game has seen. Records fell woman to achieve the feat. In a sport
with startling regularity, but more im- where format specialization is in-
portantly, her runs shaped India’s big- creasingly common, her ability to ex-
gest triumph—the country’s first-ev- cel across the spectrum set her apart.
er Women’s ODI World Cup title. Whether constructing long innings
The numbers alone tell a stag- in ODIs, adapting to the patience
gering story. Mandhana became the required in Tests, or accelerating in
first woman in history to score more T20Is, Mandhana showed a technical
than 1,000 runs in a calendar year in completeness few possess.
One-Day Internationals, finishing What made her 2025 special,
2025 with 1,362 runs. She did it with however, was not just volume or ver-
authority: five centuries, five half-cen- satility, but intent. Her strike rates,
turies, an average of 61.9, and a strike particularly in ODIs, reflected a bat-
rate touching 110. In a format that de- ter unafraid to redefine tempo in the
mands both control and acceleration, women’s game. She attacked when
Mandhana mastered the balance, set- conditions allowed, rotated strike in-
ting new benchmarks for consistency telligently, and imposed herself on
and tempo. bowling attacks rather than reacting
Her ODI dominance was the to them. It was modern batting at its
backbone of India’s World Cup cam- most assured.
paign. Across the tournament, she There was also a quiet leader-
amassed 434 runs, the second-high- ship in Mandhana’s performances.
est tally overall and the most by an Even when she was not wearing the
Indian batter in a single edition. The captain’s armband, her presence at
defining moment came with a World the crease brought calm and belief.
Cup century against New Zealand, Partnerships flourished around her,
an innings that blended composure and younger batters found confidence
with command and announced India’s batting alongside someone operating
intent to go all the way. By the time at the peak of her powers. In pressure
India lifted the trophy on November moments, she offered India certainty.
2, 2025, Mandhana’s bat had already By the end of 2025, Smriti Mand-
done much of the heavy lifting. hana’s season stood apart not only
That World Cup win was also in Indian cricket, but in the global
symbolic. Indian women’s cricket had women’s game. She combined per-
waited decades for the ultimate prize, sonal milestones with team success,
and Mandhana’s performance en- elegance with impact, and consistency
sured the breakthrough was built on international runs across formats, be- Her achievements were not con- with peak performances when it mat-
dominance rather than chance. She coming only the second Indian wom- fined to ODIs. In T20 internationals, tered most.
was not merely present in the tourna- an and the fourth overall to reach the Mandhana crossed 4,000 runs, be- In a year that will be remembered
ment; she shaped it, setting the tone at milestone. More impressively, she did coming the first Indian woman to do for India’s World Cup breakthrough,
the top of the order and forcing oppo- it faster than anyone before her, in so and the fastest in the world by balls Mandhana emerged as its finest indi-
sitions into defensive positions early. terms of innings played. It was a mo- faced. The milestone came fittingly vidual performer. Her 2025 was not
Beyond the World Cup, 2025 ment that placed her firmly among with a fluent 80 against Sri Lanka in just prolific—it was transformative,
marked Mandhana’s arrival into tru- the global greats, not just as a stylish December, an innings that also car- setting new standards for what an In-
ly elite territory in women’s cricket. batter, but as a sustained performer ried her past the 10,000-run mark in- dian woman cricketer can achieve on
During the year, she crossed 10,000 across conditions and formats. ternationally. It underlined a defining the world stage.

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