New Delhi, March 15: Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has been honored with the Best Women’s International Cricketer award for the fifth time. The recognition was presented at the BCCI Naman Awards on Sunday, celebrating her outstanding performance in 2025.
In the year 2025, Mandhana had an exceptional run, scoring 1,362 runs in 23 One Day Internationals (ODIs) at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 109. During this period, she achieved five centuries and five half-centuries in ODIs. Her performance in T20 Internationals was equally impressive, where she amassed 341 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 135, including one century and two half-centuries. Overall, across both formats, she played 36 matches, scoring a total of 1,800 runs with seven centuries.
Mandhana played a crucial role in leading the Indian team to its first World Cup victory in 2025. She was the second-highest run-scorer in the ODI World Cup held in India, accumulating 434 runs in nine matches at an average of 54. Her performance included one century and two half-centuries. The pivotal partnership with Shefali Verma for the first wicket in the final against South Africa was a turning point for the team, where Mandhana scored 45 runs off 58 balls.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the first captain of the Indian women’s cricket team to win a World Cup, expressed that winning the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup was a dream come true, inspiring every woman cricketer in the country. She emphasized the significance of this achievement for the team, stating, “It means a lot to us, as we have dreamed of lifting the ICC trophy since women’s cricket began.”
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