As the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup draws near, the spotlight in Indian cricket shines brightest on Smriti Mandhana. The elegant left-handed opener has been in unstoppable form ever since the heartbreak of 2022, when India fell short of reaching the semi-finals.
Her bat has been a constant source of brilliance, but recently, it was her wit and charm that lit up the internet. In a fun video shared by the ICC on social media, Mandhana was handed a series of famous Bollywood movie dialogues and asked to tag them to her teammates. The results were as entertaining as her cover drives.
“Chota Packet Bada Dhamaka – I think our team is only ‘chota’. But if you take age wise, it’s Richa. I mean not the built but age wise because she is young. But the way she bats she is always ‘bada dhamaka’,” Mandhana smiled, tipping her hat to youngster Richa Ghosh.
“Mai apni favourite hoon – Maybe Harleen (Deol).”
“Hum jahan khade hote hai, line vahi se shuru hoti hai – Harman (Harmanpreet Kaur) is pretty much like that and Arundhati (Reddy) is also pretty much like she will have her collar up and will say this is how it is.”
When asked about “Ek baar jo maine commitment kardi fir mai khud ki bhi nahi sunti”, Mandhana laughed and claimed it herself: “That’s me (laughs). That’s pretty much me.”
On “Khiladiyon ki khiladi”, she pointed to Pratika Rawal: “I mean from recently, Pratika (Rawal) did what she did in England, a little bit of banter with the English girls.”
For “Apna time aayega”, she didn’t single out anyone: “The whole Indian team is Apna time aayega.”
When the line “Dil maange more” came up, she turned it towards the supporters: “I think the fans, I mean I would not say one girl because the girls are pretty chill but the fans are always like, you score a fifty, you score a hundred, they will always want a little more so it is like ‘Dil maange more’ which is nice.”
And finally, for the iconic “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi namunkin hai”, Mandhana didn’t hesitate: “Radha (Yadav), she is fiery on the field.”
But beneath the laughter and banter lies an astonishing run of form that could define India’s World Cup campaign. Since the disappointment of the 2022 World Cup, Mandhana has transformed into the most dominant force in women’s ODIs—piling up a staggering 1,800 runs, the highest by any batter worldwide. Whether it’s lighting up the dressing room with her sharp humour or dismantling bowling attacks with match-winning hundreds, she looks primed for cricket’s biggest stage.
On September 30, the 2025 ODI World Cup kicks off, and India will launch their campaign against Sri Lanka, with Mandhana at the forefront of their title charge. For millions of fans, Mandhana is more than a vice-captain—she is the heartbeat of India’s batting. If she carries her post-2022 form into this tournament, she could not only lead India to their first-ever world title, but also carve out one of the most memorable individual campaigns in the history of women’s cricket.
Watch Video: Bollywood Banter with Smriti Mandhana
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A budding writer, who is trying her level best to do her bit for Women’s cricket.