TIME Names Smriti Mandhana as India’s Sole Representative on 2026 Sports Influence List

New York, June 16 — Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana has secured a place on TIME magazine’s prestigious list of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026.

The elegant left‑handed batter, currently serving as deputy to Harmanpreet Kaur during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, is the sole Indian athlete featured in this year’s edition, underscoring her growing impact on the global sporting landscape.

TIME’s annual list celebrates athletes, coaches, administrators, investors, and changemakers who are redefining the future of sports. Leading the lineup are basketball icon LeBron James and globally renowned stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Alcaraz, Rory McIlroy, and Victor Wembanyama.

Mandhana’s inclusion highlights not only her outstanding batting performances but also her influence in advancing women’s cricket. The 29‑year‑old vice‑captain of the Indian women’s team has consistently broken barriers and rewritten record books throughout her career.

TIME’s profile chronicled several of her historic achievements: she became the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic one‑day match and the first to register centuries in all three international formats. She also shares the record for the highest number of international centuries in women’s cricket, with an impressive tally of 17 hundreds.

The magazine praised her relentless consistency, noting that milestones continue to arrive at a remarkable pace. Among her many achievements, Mandhana became the first woman cricketer to score more than 1,000 One‑Day International runs in a single calendar year, setting a benchmark that underscores her dominance at the crease.

Despite the personal accolades, Mandhana has repeatedly emphasized the importance of team success. TIME acknowledged this aspect of her leadership journey, pointing out her guidance of the Royal Challengers Bangalore to Women’s Premier League titles in both 2024 and 2026. She also played a crucial role as vice‑captain during India’s victorious ICC Women’s World Cup campaign last year, finishing as one of the tournament’s leading run‑scorers.

Her record‑breaking run continued in 2024 when she set a new benchmark for the most international runs scored by a woman cricketer across formats in a calendar year. Remarkably, she surpassed her own record the following season, a feat that contributed significantly to her being named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year in 2025.

Mandhana’s recognition by TIME represents more than individual excellence. It reflects the growing prominence of Indian women’s cricket on the global stage and serves as a testament to a player whose influence now extends far beyond the boundary ropes. As she continues to inspire a new generation of cricketers, her place among the world’s most influential sporting figures appears not only deserved but inevitable.

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