The Manchester Super Giants women’s team stars Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh were captured having a light-hearted moment in backyard cricket challenge. The team, historically known as the Manchester Originals, entered a new era for the 2026 season under the RPSG Group takeover and captaincy of Meg Lanning.
Historically, the franchise underperformed, consistently failing to secure a top-four finish in previous editions of The Hundred. However, their 2026 campaign kicked off on a high note with a dominant seven-wicket victory over London Spirit at Lord's, powered by Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s spectacular 4-17 bowling spell. Despite their second fixture against Birmingham Phoenix being washed out by rain, the team remains well-positioned near the top of the early standings.
In a recent X (formerly, Twitter) video shared by the Manchester Super Giants, Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh were captured having a light-hearted moment as Smriti Mandhana was seen bowling to Richa Ghosh. The cricketers were seen playing backyard cricket, where Ghosh needed four to win, however Mandhana’s slower delivery resulted in a run-out and the players were rolling on the floor laughing as it was a very rare sight of Mandhana dismissing someone. The video posted on X was captioned, “Unreal plot 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩. You're not ready for Backyard Cricket x MSG. Stay Tuned “.
Richa Ghosh shines while Smriti Mandhana searches for momentum in The Hundred 2026
In the 2026 edition of The Hundred, Smriti Mandhana started a new chapter after signing with the rebranded Manchester Super Giants. Moving from her former side, Southern Brave, the elegant left-handed opener has had a quiet and mixed start to her campaign. In her debut game against the London Spirit at Lord's on July 23, she struggled to find her usual destructive rhythm, managing to score 17 runs off 14 balls. Her second scheduled fixture against Birmingham Phoenix on July 26 was completely washed out due to rain, preventing her from building early tournament momentum.
In the 2026 season of The Hundred, Richa Ghosh made an explosive start after joining the rebranded Manchester Super Giants for a record £50,000 auction fee. Playing her first match against the London Spirit at Lord's on July 23, the powerful wicketkeeper-batter smashed a fiery, unbeaten 15 runs off just 5 balls, including two massive sixes to swiftly wrap up a comfortable seven-wicket victory. Unfortunately, like her teammate Smriti Mandhana, Ghosh's second scheduled outing against the Birmingham Phoenix on July 26 was completely washed out by rain, temporarily pausing her blazing momentum in the competition.
