Cricket news: Smriti Mandhana – Indian batting star shattering boundaries, one six at a time
Cricket is more than just a sport in India. It’s not simply about a bat and a ball. Rather, it’s the heartbeat of the nation, a pulse that rushes through every Indian’s veins.
The sport is, in every sense, the epitome of patriotism, writes Sports News Blitz’s Ishita Trivedi.
Right from the birth of the game on the subcontinent, it wasn’t just a pastime – it was a religion.
And as Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, Virat Kohli, and other notable stars became the nation’s sporting icons, forging a trail that would lead to international glory, a similar revolution was brewing on the other flank: the rise of the Indian women’s cricket team.
Legacy to remember
In 1976, the Indian women’s cricket team played their first-ever international match, and the sport has gradually and steadily found its voice since then.
Consistently, over several decades, the team has battled odds and silenced critics, playing matches that have slowly but surely uplifted their stature.
Today, the Indian women’s cricket team reigns as one of the strongest forces of the game, consistently demonstrating their mettle and enrapturing hearts.
Yet, within this fiercely competitive landscape, one name stands out – a name that exemplifies excellence: Smriti Mandhana.
Finding a voice
Born in 1996 in the city of dreams, Mumbai, Smriti’s story is not just one of aspiration but of legacy.
As fortune would have it, her father played cricket at district level in Sangli, Maharashtra, and her brother Shravan was a state-level cricketer.
Smriti was thus enmeshed in the world of cricket from childhood, her journey nurtured by the encouragement of a family who believed in her.
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Etched in history
Even when the idea of a woman in cricket – of a woman donning the iconic whites – seemed more like a distant dream than a possibility, Smriti’s family stood as her rock.
Fast forward to June 28, 2025, and Smriti achieved something that once seemed unfathomable.
She became the first Indian woman to score a century in all three formats of the game, a feat that undeniably places her in an exclusive club of cricketing legends.
This joyous occasion occurred during the India vs England series at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, where she smashed a fiery 112 runs off 62 balls.
Swelling the ranks of cricketing legends alongside Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill – not to mention international icons such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, and Martin Guptill – Smriti’s name is now indelibly etched in the records of cricket history.
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More than cricket
Today, Smriti Mandhana isn’t just a cricketer – she’s a trailblazer.
Her achievements have relentlessly inspired a new wave of female athletes who dare to dream of a world where they too can make history.
It is in her wake that cricket is no longer confined to just the big cities; countless girls are lifting bats and balls, knowing that they too can stand at the pinnacle of their dreams.
After all, Smriti isn’t just rewriting the records of cricket – she’s rewriting the story of the possibilities for women in sport.
And with every six she hits, she’s pushing the world closer to a future where every girl can break through the barriers and embrace the impossible.
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