Smriti Mandhana: “Cricket Comes First, Always”
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, making her first public appearance since calling off her wedding, reaffirmed that nothing matters more to her than cricket. The left-handed star, who announced the cancellation of her wedding to Palash Muchhal on December 7, said her sole focus now is giving her best for India.
Mandhana, named in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, attended the Amazon Smbhav Summit alongside captain Harmanpreet Kaur. She reflected on her journey from her 2013 debut to becoming a key contributor in India’s recent World Cup triumph. “I don’t think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing the Indian jersey motivates you, helping you focus and set aside everything else,” she said.
Speaking about the World Cup victory, Mandhana described it as the reward for years of perseverance. “We were waiting for it so badly. Seeing it happen gave us goosebumps. And having Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami there made it even more special. It felt like women’s cricket itself was winning.”
She added that her lessons from the game are simple yet profound: “You always start an innings at zero, no matter what you scored before. And never play for yourself—always play for the team.”
With her focus firmly on cricket, Mandhana is back in training and ready to lead India’s charge in the upcoming series.
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