Smriti Mandhana has been named in TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026, becoming the only Indian to feature on the prestigious list - a recognition that places her ahead of men's cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in terms of global sporting influence. The 29-year-old vice-captain of the Indian women's national team joins an elite group that includes LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Carlos Alcaraz, Victor Wembanyama, and Rory McIlroy, among other defining figures of contemporary sport.
A Record-Breaker Who Has Redefined Indian Women's Cricket
TIME's profile of Mandhana reads like a catalogue of firsts. The Mumbai-born left-handed opener is the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic one-day game, the first to register a century in all three international formats, and a joint holder of the most international women's cricket centuries with 17. She is also the first woman to surpass 1,000 one-day international runs in a single calendar year - a milestone that underlines not only her consistency but the sustained elevation of her game. Much like dedicated enthusiasts who follow competitive pursuits in other arenas - whether mainstream sport or emerging digital competitions like lol lpl summer split betting - the metrics around Mandhana's career tell the story of someone operating at the very top of their field. TIME captured it simply: "records keep tumbling in."
Trophies to Match the Individual Honours
What distinguishes Mandhana's inclusion on this list from a purely statistical exercise is the weight she carries in team settings. TIME specifically noted her pride in collective achievements, citing her leadership of Royal Challengers Bangalore to Women's Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026. She also served as vice-captain when India lifted the ICC Women's World Cup, contributing the second-most runs in that tournament. These are not supporting-role appearances - Mandhana has been central to the most significant chapters in Indian women's cricket over recent years, and her influence on younger players coming through the system is a dimension TIME's selection criteria actively values.
Still Performing on the Biggest Stages
The recognition arrives while Mandhana is in active competition. India are currently participating in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales, and she wasted no time making her presence felt. Against Pakistan at Edgbaston, she contributed a brisk 64 as India recorded a commanding 64-run victory. It is the kind of performance in high-visibility fixtures - against the most-watched rivals, on foreign soil, in a global tournament - that reinforces why TIME's process goes beyond raw numbers.
How TIME Builds Its List - and What It Measures
TIME's methodology is worth understanding in the context of Mandhana's inclusion over far more commercially prominent Indian cricketers. The magazine draws on its global network of correspondents to source nominations, tracking those making headlines while evaluating coaches, athletes, advocates, and investors. Crucially, influence is not confined to on-field performance. Cultural, social, and economic impact - including advocacy for equity and the ability to shape sporting culture at a broader level - form part of the calculus. Editors then weigh candidates against one another across sports before narrowing the field to 100, with the final list divided into four categories: Athletes, Titans, Innovators, and Leaders. Mandhana's story - a trailblazer for women's sport in the world's most cricket-obsessed nation - maps cleanly onto several of those pillars at once. The only other cricketer on the list is South Africa's Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma, who led the Proteas to World Test Championship glory at Lord's against Australia, a fitting recognition of a leader who has carried both a team and a cause.
