Smriti Mandhana named Indian sportswoman of the year after World Cup and WPL triumph
India Today
Smriti Mandhana was named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year after a standout 2025 season. The opener starred in India's Women's World Cup triumph and also won another WPL title with RCB.
Smriti Mandhana’s unforgettable year in cricket has been capped with another major honour, as she was named Indian Sportswoman of the Year at the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year awards. The Indian opener earned the recognition after playing a starring role in India’s World Cup triumph and leading the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second WPL title.
Mandhana, 29, was India’s vice-captain during their victorious 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup campaign and was one of the stars of the tournament, piling up 434 runs as India marched to the title.
She beat out some serious competition for the honour, with Harmanpreet Kaur, chess sensation Divya Deshmukh, shooter Suruchi Singh and hurdler Jyothi Yarraji also in the mix.
Despite a difficult period in her personal life, on the field, Smriti Mandhana had a triumphant year in women's cricket. Receiving the award, Mandhana reflected opm what had been a special year for the Indian women's cricket team.
"Thank you BBC for giving me the award for Best Sportswoman of the Year. 2025 was a special year for women's cricket, especiallytowards the end we had a World Cup and I'm happy I could contribute and help India win matches," she said.
The left-hander has been doing that for a long time now. She made her India debut at 16 and has gone on to score 17 international centuries — a record she shares with Australia great Meg Lanning.
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