‘No one will marry her’: How people taunted Smriti Mandhana's father

Smriti​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Mandhana, the Indian cricket team's star player, recalled her adventure in the game, facing upsets, and getting insults while her parents were being scolded by the society like "nobody will marry her." After winning the Women's World Cup and getting the BCCI award for the Best Women’s International Cricketer, Mandhana revealed these facts to Amitabh Bachchan in 2023 when she and Ishan Kishan featured on the quiz-based reality show, Kaun Banega Crorepati 15.

While talking with her, Bachchan observed that her family was very much into cricket and inquired how it was for her to be raised in such an ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌atmosphere. Smriti explained, “Yes, sir. Both my father and brother were cricket-lovers since their childhood. It was dad’s dream to… His family did not give him a chance to do the sport. His dream was to see his two children play cricket and at least one of them play as Indians.”

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As​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ a member of the Mandhana family, her dad Shrinivas and her brother Shravan, both of whom were district-level players for Sangli, Smriti said cricket has been a part of her life since way back. She shared, “I believe since when I was in the womb of my mother. I would even do some practicing where I had to fetch the ball to my brother. I picked up the art of batting by observing him behind the nets. Actually, I’m a righty. But since my brother was also a lefty, I was taught left hand batting by him since I would simply stand behind the net and watch him. I believe that is the way I began to play cricket.”