Indian women’s cricket has steadily grown into one of the sport’s most compelling stories — filling stadiums, producing record chases and creating stars capable of thriving under the most intense pressure. Over the last few years, praise for the team has come from legends, commentators and former cricketers across the world. Now, Virat Kohli has joined that chorus of admiration.
Speaking on the RCB podcast, the former India captain reflected on several performances from India’s women cricketers that had genuinely stayed with him, not just because of the quality of batting but because of the confidence, resilience and fearlessness behind them. The conversation began with two innings that have already become part of Indian women’s cricket folklore: Smriti Mandhana’s match-winning effort in the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) final and Jemimah Rodrigues’ unforgettable World Cup semifinal century against Australia.
Mandhana’s knock in the WPL final earlier this year was one of the defining innings of the tournament. Chasing a daunting 204 against Delhi Capitals in Vadodara, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) needed something extraordinary from their captain in a high-pressure title clash. Mandhana delivered exactly that. She smashed 87 off just 41 deliveries, hammering 12 fours and three sixes while scoring at a strike rate above 212. Her half-century came in only 23 balls, the fastest fifty ever recorded in a WPL final as RCB completed the highest successful chase in tournament history to secure their second title.
For Kohli, though, the brilliance itself was never surprising. “Smriti has always had this… it’s very evident when you watch her play, she has this very, very unique talent and very unique way of hitting the ball. She’s a very gifted, natural timer of the ball, which is amazing to watch… It was amazing to watch her perform like that in the final, but I wasn’t surprised by it in a way that, I didn’t feel like she could do this, she’s done it before also, but, yes, a high-stakes game, it was amazing the way she batted,” Kohli said.
The conversation then moved toward a far more emotional memory for Kohli — Jemimah Rodrigues’ breathtaking semifinal innings against Australia during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup in Mumbai.
India were chasing 339 against the defending champions, already the highest target ever successfully chased in women’s ODI history if completed. Australia had looked firmly in control after posting a massive total, but Rodrigues responded with the innings of her career, finishing unbeaten on 127 from 134 deliveries to guide India home by five wickets with nine balls remaining.
The semifinal carried enormous emotional weight. Rodrigues had struggled for consistency earlier in the tournament and entered the match under pressure, yet produced an innings filled with calmness, authority and fearless strokeplay against the strongest team in women’s cricket.
Kohli admitted the knock moved him deeply because of everything surrounding it. “The more I was proud of was, Jemi. Because of what she had gone through in the tournament also. You could feel it. Like when you see, yes, luck plays a factor in the game. You always feel grateful for the moments that luck was on your side. But when you look at the overall picture and how things were unfolding, it was a meant-to-be moment for her. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind or heart. When you watch that, that knock, and the way she played, and the kind… she was different, she looked zoned out,” Kohli said.
“She was in that vortex where she was completely in her own world and she’s just watching the ball. Australia is in front of her. It didn’t feel like she’s bothered about all of that. It was a record chase. It’s against the world champions, you know, the strongest team out there. And to do it in front of her own people, Mumbai, parents, what she had gone through, amazing mental strength and resilience,” he added.
Kohli also reflected on the changing mindset within Indian women’s cricket, saying the newer generation has brought a far more fearless and attacking identity to the game. According to him, young players today are quicker, more explosive and far more confident in backing their skills against any opposition or match situation. He particularly pointed to Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh — two batters who have become symbols of India’s aggressive new approach, with Shafali dominating at the top of the order and Richa emerging as one of the side’s most dangerous finishers.
Kohli recalled being stunned by Shafali’s clean hitting during the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, especially at Perth Stadium where the boundaries are among the biggest in world cricket. Still only 16 at the time, Shafali scored 163 runs in the tournament at a strike rate above 158 and played a major role in India reaching their maiden T20 World Cup final.
“She batted in Perth and I was watching—because I’ve played in that stadium. She was hitting the ball in the stands and far. I was like, this is unreal. Like, you know, the kind of power and the confidence,” Kohli said.
Richa, meanwhile, has built a reputation as one of the most fearless middle-order hitters in women’s cricket. Her ability to change games in a matter of overs, particularly in T20 cricket, has made her one of India’s key finishers across formats. Kohli said her power and confidence reminded him of elite finishers from the men’s game as well, insisting her ability should not be viewed through the lens of women’s cricket alone.
“Oh my god, it’s like any top tier finisher or explosive batter in the game, like across. Not, I’m not just confining it to women’s cricket, but the ability you can see is shining through,” Kohli said.
Kohli’s reflections felt significant because they came not from obligation, but from genuine admiration for the skill, confidence and mentality this group carries. In many ways, his words summed up where the team stands today: no longer emerging, no longer waiting for recognition, but firmly established as one of the most exciting forces in world cricket.
(Quotes sourced from Virat Kohli’s conversation with Mayanti Langer for RCB Podcast)
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