Smriti Mandhana Speaks For The First Time After Called-Off Wedding

Smriti Mandhana stated that she loves nothing more than cricket in her first public appearance since calling off her engagement.

Indian batter Smriti Mandhana said she loves nothing more than cricket. She made the statement in her first public appearance since calling off her engagement last month.

Mandhana reflected on her 12-year international career and India’s recent World Cup triumph. She spoke at the Amazon Smbhav Summit on Wednesday.

“I don’t think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing that Indian jersey is the motivation that drives us. You keep all your problems aside, and that thought alone helps you focus on life,” she stated.

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Smriti Mandhana on the World Cup Victory

She described the World Cup win as a reward for years of 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,” Mandhana said.

The presence of former greats Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami at the final added to 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 added.

Mandhana said she always had a clear ambition from childhood. “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.”

She also shared two key lessons reinforced by the World Cup. “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.