In a recent episode of the podcast Sustainable Tea with Shreya, hosted by her friend Shreya Ghodawat, Smriti Mandhana shared her thoughts on leadership, her cricketing journey, and personal experiences.
Reflecting on her hometown of Sangli in Maharashtra, Smriti fondly recalled the vibrant atmosphere and cherished childhood memories. She reminisced about how much she enjoyed spending time with her family, her love for food, and watching the Australian MasterChef show. Smriti mentioned that she played cricket every day, and those one or two hours of playing were the highlight of her day.
Smriti has always excelled in both sports and academics, consistently scoring 80% in her school exams. She revealed that her passion for cricket began not with the intention of becoming a professional cricketer, but simply because she enjoyed the game.
Discussing the growing interest in women’s cricket, Smriti expressed her delight at how people now talk about the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and Women’s World Cup with the same enthusiasm as men’s cricket. She also praised the BCCI for being the first cricket board to ensure equal match fees for both men’s and women’s teams, noting that it’s about more than just money—it’s about fostering a culture of equality and changing people’s perspectives on men’s and women’s cricket.
Smriti, who comes from a Marwari family, mentioned that she has a good understanding of investing thanks to her parents and brother, but she is not very interested in materialistic things.
She also shared an interesting anecdote about her jersey number 18, which coincidentally matches that of the legendary Virat Kohli. Initially, she wanted the jersey number 7, which was her roll number in school, but it was already taken. Someone from the BCCI suggested number 18, which also happens to be her birth date, and she agreed.
On leadership and captaincy, Smriti emphasised the importance of knowing and connecting with teammates. She believes that human connection is more crucial than tactics and statistics. According to her, leadership involves continuously supporting the team morally, maintaining a strong human connection, and focusing on improving one’s own work despite the ups and downs of performance.
