Barely had Amanjot Kaur pierced Sophie Molineux’s delivery through the gap between point and midwicket when Smriti Mandhana put on her afterburners. She stormed across the field with an almighty sprint that might impress even coaches at the Athletics Federation of India.
And why shouldn’t she? The occasion demanded the spectacular. India had beaten a seemingly unbeatable Australia, and that too, at the semi-final of the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. At the pitch, she embraced Jemimah Rodrigues — architect of the triumph with her unbeaten 127.
Rodrigues had endured a challenging few weeks leading up to that moment. Support had ebbed from nearly every corner, including the Indian team management, who had dropped her from the match against England before correcting what, in hindsight, was an evident misjudgment.
The one player she always had in her corner, as witnessed by The Quint during training sessions of the Indian team, was Smriti Mandhana. In the press conference after the game, an emotional Rodrigues would acknowledge:
Smriti has always been there for me. She knew what I was going through. In a few of the net sessions, she would just stand there quietly. Even yesterday, she came and just stood there. She didn’t say much, but she knew that her presence mattered to me.Jemimah Rodrigues
Not A Stranger To Failures
Referring to her sprint, Anant Tambvekar, Mandhana’s childhood coach, teaser her, as he tells The Quint:
I called her and said, “For the first time, I saw you running really hard after winning that game — you ran like out of nowhere!” She was laughing.Anant Tambvekar
Banter aside, Tambvekar knows that it is exactly who Mandhana is, and has always been. The ideal teammate, seeking happiness in others’ success, for she knows how dark darkness can be.
Smriti has gone through so many failures in life that she is now able to guide someone and tell them, “These things will happen. Don’t dwell on the negatives; focus on the positives.” That’s what happened with her. I remember a tour of Sri Lanka where she did not have a good outing. When she came back to Sangli, she tried to play a cover drive that went to mid-wicket, and then when she tried again towards mid-wicket, it went to cover — that’s how off her bat was. But it wasn’t about technique; it was mental. Cricket, especially now, is largely a mental game — for both men and women — because everyone has the skill. What stands out about her is how much she’s improved mentally over the years. Her mindset now is simple: keep doing what you love, forget about the results, and focus only on the process. That’s where her strength truly lies.Anant Tambvekar
Discipline Trumps Talent
Tambvekar was initially coaching Mandhana’s brother, Shravan, until her father, Shrinivas, asked him to train his daughter.
She was just 12 when she first came. I was coaching her brother, and it was her father, who used to play cricket as well, who requested me to train Smriti as well. I had already begun coaching girls by then, so I did not have any issue in getting Smriti under my wing. We’ve been working together ever since.Anant Tambvekar
That, she had a natural flair, is undisputed. Yet, Tambvekar believes Mandhana had achieved success owing to her discipline.
What stood apart about Smriti was that she was incredibly focused — more than many others at that age. She had natural talent and carried herself with confidence, which I think came from her cricketing family background.Anant Tambvekar
Level Up
Though she made her debut for India in April 2013, at the tender age of 16, the turning point of her career came in 2018. For a 21-year-old scoring 232 runs at the 2017 ODI World Cup was no mean feat. Yet, that experience helped her understand the importance of being dedicated to the sport.
The results were evident. Till 2017, her highest ODI average in a calendar year was 40. In 2018, it rocketed to 66.90.
Tambvekar recalls:
Honestly, before the 2017 World Cup, everything felt very casual. We just focused on doing what we enjoyed and what felt right for her. She was deeply involved in the game and gave me enough time to work with her. She’s always been eager to learn new things, and that’s how her growth happened. She managed her studies easily while dedicating enough time to enhancing her skills and improving her game. But since the 2017 World Cup, she became more dedicated to the sport.Anant Tambvekar
What has also improved over the years is her contribution in the biggest of stages, and the most challenging of games. At the 2025 World Cup, she is currently India’s leading run-scorer, having accumulated 389 runs at an average of 55.57.
She had fallen short of runs in previous knockout games, so now she knows how to handle these situations and get through them. She has always known how to deal with pressure, but has massively improved in this aspect recently. At the end of the day, the motto is always the same — team first. Whether you’re scoring runs or saving boundaries, it’s all about contributing to the team’s win.Anant Tambvekar
Beyond cricket, from a psychological perspective, Mandhana changed her outlook towards criticism.
She realized that if you give too much importance to criticism, it stays in your head for a long time. So now she’s learned to just let it go and focus on each game, because every game is a new opportunity.Anant Tambvekar
The Girl From Sangli, Who Could Soon Be India's Leader
Tambvekar, like every Indian today, will hope and pray for the crown. That said, however, he still is immensely proud of his ward for representing the nation.
If you ask me, Smriti debut for the Indian team is still my most special memory, even after all these years. Because for a girl coming from a small place like Sangli, where there is not much cricketing infrastructure, to wear that jersey is one of the proudest moments for any cricketer.Anant Tambvekar
And soon, that girl from Sangli could lead the team — an attribute she has already mastered, being the first Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain to lift silverware.
Smriti has learned all about leadership through pure observation. She spent time with Mithali Raj earlier, and as a cricketer, you naturally pick up things by watching games on television — seeing how Dhoni captained, how Rahul Dravid made his changes, how different leaders handled situations. Some people really absorb those lessons well, and Smriti has done that amazingly.Anant Tambvekar
A Superstition To Follow, A Revolution To Start
Though he has chosen not to put any more pressure on Mandhana than there already is, Tambvekar is confident of a victory. And with it, a revolution.
I have told her to consider it as just another game. No pressure — just another match for us. I’m confident we’ll win, 100%. And with this victory, we’ll kick off the second revolution in women’s cricket in India.Anant Tambvekar
And, as it turns out, he will contribute to the team, despite not being associated in any official capacity.
Smriti has repeatedly told me, “Don’t come to watch the final.” We both have this little superstition — every time I’m not there, she ends up scoring big runs. So I told her, “Don’t worry, I’m not coming!” It’s funny, but it’s worked so far. Honestly, I feel better not watching her live on TV. I just keep checking the scores to see how much she’s done — or how India’s doing.Anant Tambvekar
Scores will be checked on Sunday, perhaps every second. But what truly matters is the history she may write — with every shot and every run.