SmritiMandhana

The idea of taking up cricket first came to young Mandhana after watching her brother play under-16 tournaments in the state of Maharashtra. Without wasting too much time, she began working on that idea, soon making it to her state's Under-15 (and later) Under-19 sides.

The batswoman had the good fortune of being gifted a practice bat by batting legend Rahul Dravid, later using the same to smash a double ton for her state in a one day game. Her 224 came off 150 balls, also making her the first Indian woman to record a double ton in one day cricket.

Mandhana made her international debut in a T20I game against Bangladesh in April 2013, followed by her ODI debut five days later.

In just her second ODI match, she registered her maiden ton, posting 102 against Australia in Hobart.

The left-hander made her WBBL debut by signing up for the Brisbane Heat in the 2016/17 season. Mandhana later got picked up by the Hobart Hurricanes in the 2018-19 season.

In December 2018, Mandhana was named the ODI player of the year as well as the best female cricketer of the year in December 2018.

Consolidating herself as one of the world's best batters and a leader in the Indian squad, Mandhana returned to Australia in 2021 and debuted for a third WBBL club, representing Sydney Thunder.

After a hiatus from the Big Bash she confirmed she would return in 2024, this time for Adelaide Strikers.