India’s batting mainstay Smriti Mandhana was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025 on February 16, capping one of the most prolific years by a cricketer in recent memory. The award, presented by the BBC at a glittering ceremony in New Delhi, recognised Mandhana’s extraordinary contributions to a historic season in women’s cricket.
In a pre-recorded message shared during the event as Mandhana is currently in Australia for a bilateral tour, the India vice-captain thanked the jury and reflected on a landmark year for women’s cricket. “Thank you, BBC, for giving me the award for Best Sportswoman of the Year. 2025 was a special year for women’s cricket… and I’m happy I could contribute and help India win matches,” she said.
Mandhana, 29, stood out in a field of elite competitors including India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, chess sensation Divya Deshmukh and world record-breaking hurdler Jyothi Yarraji. Her selection highlighted not just personal excellence but the growing prominence of women’s sport on the global stage.
The award caps a year in which Mandhana was at the heart of India’s monumental success at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, where the Indian team clinched their first ever ODI World Cup title. Playing a leading role at the top of the order, she was among the tournament’s most consistent contributors. Over the course of the campaign, she registered a century of 109 against New Zealand. She finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer for India with 434 runs to her name.
Smriti Mandhana’s numbers in 2025 were not merely impressive, they were historic. The left-hander piled up 1,703 international runs across formats during the calendar year, the highest aggregate ever recorded by a woman in a single year. In doing so, she surpassed her own previous benchmark of 1,659 runs set in 2024, underlining a rare ability to raise the bar even after a career-best season.
No other woman has crossed the 1,700-run mark in a calendar year, placing Mandhana in a league of her own in terms of sustained excellence. She became the first woman in women’s ODIs to score more than 1,000 runs in a single year, breaking a 28-year-old record previously held by Australia’s Belinda Clark.
Her run-scoring consistency was remarkable: she was among the world’s most prolific batters throughout the season, posting significant knocks in major bilateral series as well as global tournaments. One standout performance came against Australia in September 2025, when she hammered 117 off 91 balls, powering India to a commanding 102-run victory and showcasing her ability to dominate high-quality bowling attacks. She followed it up with another classy 125 in the decisive, record-total 3rd ODI, and notably, earlier this year, rewrote her career-best to 135.
Her consistency and longevity were also underscored by her rapid ascent up the all-time ODI runs chart. During the World Cup period, she crossed 5,000 ODI runs, achieving the milestone faster than any other Indian woman in the format, another testament to her sustained elite performance. Off the international stage, Mandhana continued her dominant form in franchise cricket.
In January 2026 during the Women’s Premier League (WPL), she finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament and played a pivotal role in guiding her team Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the title, adding another trophy to a stellar year.
The BBC award adds another prestigious honour to Mandhana’s resume and highlights her influence not just in Indian cricket but in the wider world of sport. As the women’s game continues to grow globally, her achievements in 2025 stand as a benchmark for excellence and consistency, inspiring a new generation of players.
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