Mandhana Earns Place in Prestigious TIME List
Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has been included in TIME magazine’s prestigious ‘The 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026’ list.
Mandhana is one of just two cricketers selected, alongside South Africa Test captain Temba Bavuma. The Indian opening batter has been placed in the ‘Titans’ category, which also features some of the most prominent figures in global sport.
Despite cricket’s enormous worldwide following, Mandhana and Bavuma are the only representatives from the sport on the entire list. They appear alongside internationally recognised athletes such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and LeBron James.
Their inclusion reflects the scale of their influence, with both cricketers recognised for setting records, winning major titles, and inspiring people in their respective countries.
TIME Highlights Mandhana’s Record-Breaking Career
Explaining Smriti’s influence in the world of cricket, Charlie Campbell, editor at TIME, said: “The records keep tumbling in for Smriti Mandhana. The Mumbai-born left-handed opening batter was the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic one-day game, the first to score a century in all three international formats, and is a joint holder of the most international women’s cricket centuries with 17. Mandhana is also the first woman to score more than 1,000 one-day international runs in a calendar year.”
He further added: “But Mandhana is proudest of the team honours she is also accumulating. She captained the Royal Challengers Bangalore [Bengaluru] to the 2024 and 2026 Women’s Premier League titles and was vice-captain for India’s triumph at last year’s ICC Women’s World Cup, scoring the second-most runs in the tournament.
“In 2024, Mandhana set the record for most international runs across formats by a woman and then beat her own record last year – a feat that contributed to her being crowned BBC Indian Sportswoman of 2025.”
Team Success Remains Mandhana’s Greatest Pride
Although Mandhana has collected several individual records during her career, she continues to place greater importance on the trophies she has won alongside her teammates.
As vice-captain of the Indian national team, she played an important role in India’s historic victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Mandhana finished the competition as its second-highest run-scorer.
Her leadership has also brought success in domestic cricket. Mandhana captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two Women’s Premier League titles, further strengthening her reputation as one of the leading figures in the women’s game.
Growing Influence on Women’s Cricket
Mandhana’s selection for TIME’s list underlines both her exceptional performances and her expanding influence on women’s cricket around the world.
She is currently playing for India at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England, continuing to represent her country on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
