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Smriti Mandhana (Pic credit: BCCI)
NEW DELHI: India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has earned different prestigious honour aft being named successful TIME magazine's database of the 100 Most Influential People successful Sports 2026, emerging arsenic the lone Indian to diagnostic among a star-studded planetary lineup.The yearly database recognises athletes, coaches, investors and advocates who are "shaping sports today". Basketball fable LeBron James headlines this year's edition, which besides includes shot icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz, golfer Rory McIlroy, skier Eileen Gu, NBA prima Victor Wembanyama and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma and New York Knicks defender Jalen Brunson are besides among the notable names connected the list.
Mandhana's singular emergence earns planetary recognition
TIME highlighted Mandhana's singular achievements, describing however "records support tumbling in" for the Mumbai-born opener.The 29-year-old became the archetypal Indian pistillate to people a treble period successful a home one-day crippled and the archetypal batter from the state to registry centuries successful each 3 planetary formats. She is besides the associated holder of the grounds for the astir centuries successful women's planetary cricket, with 17.
Mandhana was besides the archetypal pistillate to people much than 1,000 ODI runs successful a calendar year.However, TIME noted that the left-handed batter takes the top pridefulness successful the squad successes she has helped achieve.Mandhana captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Women's Premier League titles successful 2024 and 2026, portion besides serving arsenic vice-captain during India's victorious ICC Women's ODI World Cup run past year, finishing arsenic the tournament's second-highest run-scorer.Her bonzer consistency saw her acceptable a grounds for the astir planetary runs by a pistillate crossed formats successful 2024 earlier surpassing her ain people successful 2025, a feat that contributed to her being named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year.The latest honour places Mandhana successful elite institution and further underlines her increasing stature arsenic 1 of the astir influential figures successful satellite athletics and the starring look of Indian women's cricket.
