India women’s team vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana has achieved a remarkable milestone by being named in TIME magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports for 2026. At just 29 years old, she stands out as the only Indian athlete on this esteemed list, which honors those athletes, coaches, administrators, and investors who are shaping the future of sports.
Mandhana now shares this honor with global legends like LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Carlos Alcaraz. Recognized as a leading figure in women’s cricket, this left-handed opener has not only delivered record-breaking performances but has also excelled in leadership, solidifying her status as one of the most significant names in the sport today.
TIME emphasized Mandhana’s rising influence both on and off the field. The magazine pointed out her historic achievements, including being the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic one-day match and the first to hit centuries across all three international formats. Additionally, it acknowledged her as a joint record holder for the most centuries in women’s international cricket, highlighting her remarkable consistency across different formats.
Smriti Mandhana's 2024-25 Exceptional Performances
Mandhana’s journey to making it onto the TIME list is nothing short of extraordinary, fueled by an incredible two-year span. In 2024, she made history by racking up 1,602 international runs across all formats, setting a new benchmark for the most runs scored by a woman in a single calendar year. She outshone South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and also claimed the record for the highest runs in a calendar year in women’s T20 Internationals, with a stunning 763 runs. Her year was highlighted by five centuries and ten half-centuries, marking it as one of the most fruitful years in the realm of women’s cricket.
In 2025, she truly raised the bar even higher. Mandhana made history as the first woman to rack up over 1,000 ODI runs in a single calendar year, and she didn’t stop there—she went on to surpass the 1,700-run mark across all formats, finishing with an impressive 1,703 runs, breaking her own world record. She also became the fastest woman to hit 10,000 international runs, reaching this incredible milestone in just 280 innings.
On top of her personal achievements, she guided Royal Challengers Bangalore to Women’s Premier League titles in both 2024 and 2026, and played a pivotal role as India’s vice-captain during their ICC Women’s World Cup victory. Her remarkable consistency and excellence earned her the BBC Indian Sportswoman of 2025 award, solidifying her status as one of the most influential figures in the sport.
