'They never ever said that, ‘Oh, this is a women's team'' - Smriti Mandhana explains her relationship with RCB franchise

A trailblazer in the women’s game, Smriti Mandhana is one of India cricket’s biggest stars and a leader on and off the field. On RCB’s new ‘Bold & Beyond’ podcast, Mandhana, getting candid, revealed a never-heard-before story about her early cricketing days, explaining how she got her first custom-made bat and what the moment meant for her. 

“I remember I was in Meerut; that was the first place where I toured and my dad came with me because I was too young to go alone. My dad knew a bat company there that sent bats for him. They said, your daughter is using a big bat, let me make a specially curated bat for her and get it. It was a company, I think, named RS. I don't know if it even exists now, but that uncle was kind enough. I was very excited. I couldn't sleep,” Mandhana told host Mayanti Langer. “After two days, he got a specialised bat according to my size because I was tiny. I held that bat and I was just like, this is it. That was the moment for me.”

In the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a bold move by splurging a record sum on Mandhana: INR 3.4 crore, making her the most expensive purchase in the tournament–a record that stands to this day. Mandhana showed glimpses of her talent in the first season before truly setting the stage on fire in season 2. She became the league’s fourth-highest run-scorer–the second-highest in the team–and captained RCB to their first franchise cricket trophy in India. 

Looking back on her relationship with RCB, Mandhana revealed how the management’s approach allowed her to form an instant connection with the franchise. 

“They never ever said that, ‘Oh, this is a women's team.’ They were clear that this is an RCB team and we will treat it as an RCB team. We just finished the auction and, in three days, we were playing for the franchise. So you somewhat don't connect because you're just playing in three days. But this side of the management made me feel that I really want to give back to the franchise and the management,” Mandhana said.

“Of course, the fans’ experience and all, I started feeling it the second year. But even from the first year, I started feeling that for the management because they created the whole environment around it. That was really cool,” she added, before revealing that supporters have started asking her for cup number two!

As vice-captain, Mandhana is central to India’s success in women’s cricket. With several ICC finals and rising prominence in franchise leagues, she is a key figure in Indian cricket. She acknowledges pioneers like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami for their contributions and is inspired by legends like Serena Williams.