Smriti Mandhana opens up on what she 'loves' most in her first public appearance since calling off wedding with Palash Mucchal

Twelve years after making her India debut, Smriti Mandhana says one thing is now certain — cricket is the greatest love of her life. The star left-hander looked back on her journey from her first international match in 2013 to the key role she played in India’s World Cup triumph last month.

Speaking about what keeps her going, Mandhana said at the Amazon Smbhav Summit on Wednesday that nothing motivates her like wearing the India jersey. “I don’t think I love anything more than cricket. When you put on that India shirt, you set every other worry aside, and that feeling helps you stay centred,” she said.

She always had clarity about her ambition.


"As a kid, the madness for batting was always there. No one understood it, but in my mind, I always wanted to be called a world champion."

Mandhana on wining World Cup

Mandhana said the trophy felt like a culmination of the team’s long struggle.

"This World Cup was the reward for the battle we fought over the years. We were waiting for it so badly. I’ve been playing for more than 12 years — many times things didn’t go our way. We visualised it before the final, and when we finally saw it on the screen, it gave us goosebumps. It was an incredible, special moment," the Indian vice-captain said.

Mandhana said the presence of veterans Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami at the final heightened the emotion.

"We really wanted to do it for them, badly. Seeing tears in their eyes made it feel like women's cricket itself was winning. It was a battle won for all of them," she said.

Mandhana said the World Cup reinforced two enduring lessons.

"You always start an innings at zero, no matter if you scored a hundred before. And don't play for yourself - that's what we kept reminding each other," she said.

Incidentally, this was Mandhana's first public appearance since she called off her marriage with musician Palash Mucchal.