Smriti Mandhana Named in TIME100 Sports Most Influential List

In a major achievement for Indian sports, Smriti Mandhana, vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, has been included in the TIME100 Sports list of the most influential people.

She is the only Indian to secure a spot in this prestigious global ranking, joining legends from football, basketball, tennis, and cricket.

TIME magazine's annual list recognizes athletes, coaches, officials, investors, and supporters who are shaping the future of sports worldwide.

TIME100 Sports: Most Influential People

This year's list features Mandhana alongside global sports icons such as basketball legend LeBron James, football greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, and South African cricket captain Temba Bavuma.

Her inclusion highlights the growing global recognition of women's cricket.

Smriti Mandhana's Record-Breaking Achievements

She became the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic ODI match and the first Indian female cricketer to score centuries across all three international formats: Test, ODI, and T-20.

Mandhana also holds the joint record for the most centuries in women's international cricket, with a total of 17 centuries to her name.

The past few years have been extraordinary for Mandhana. She became the first female cricketer to score over 1,000 ODI runs in a single calendar year.

In 2024, she set the record for the most international runs scored by a woman across all formats in a single year.

Earlier, in 2026, Mandhana also became India's highest run-scorer in T-20 Internationals across both men's and women's cricket. 

Smriti Mandhana's Titles

She captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru and helped her team win two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles in 2024 and 2026.

She was the vice-captain when India won the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in Mumbai last year.

She was India's highest run-scorer in that tournament, amassing 434 runs.

She is the current vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team. She became the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic One Day match.

She was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the ICC Women's World Cup in 2025. She received the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award in 2025.