Right off the bat

She is setting new records, playing for leagues around the world, and netting crores at the Women's Premier League. As women's cricket is finally given room to blossom in India, Mandhana's sharp rise is proof of what is possible when sports administrators stop ignoring women's sports

- Somshuvra Laha

At Rs 3.4 crore, Smriti Mandhana has emerged as the most expensive retention in the 2025 edition of the Women's Premier League. (That's Rs 1.6 crore more than the contract for Harmanpreet Kaur, who came in at No 2 on this list). The sum, in fact, is more than 22% of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru total purse of Rs 15 crore.

Meanwhile, last month, Mandhana streaked past Mithali Raj, with an 8th ODI hundred (Raj had seven), a record she set with a series-winning knock against New Zealand.

Mandhana is turning into the de facto role model for Gen-Z girls aiming to take up the sport. The 28-year-old has style, grace and a silken touch typical as a left-hander.

She has been making heads turn with her batting for more than a decade.

She was nine, in fact, when she was selected for the Maharashtra Under-15 team; by ll, she was playing at the U-19 level. By 16, she was captain of the U-19 team; that year, 2012, she made her international debut too.

As a young player, she has said, she admired Diana Edulji, now 68, and Shanta Rangaswamy, 70, Jhulan Goswami, 41, and Harmanpreet Kaur, 35.

It helps that she now plays alongside some of these icons. It helps that, unlike Edulji and Rangaswamy, she hasn't had to go door to door to raise funds; or fight a lonely, often-unsuccessful battle for visibility.

It has taken far too long, but women's cricket is finally being given room to blossom, and Mandhana's rise is proof of what is possible when sports administration stops ignoring women's sports.