Your elegance on the field and powerful performances inspire millions

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana turned 28 years old on Thursday, July 18. The star opener is one of the most accomplished cricketers in the world.

Mandhana has represented India in seven Tests, 85 ODIs, and 136 T20Is, scoring 7534 runs, comprising nine centuries and 54 half-centuries. She holds the second most runs for India Women in international cricket, only behind former India captain Mithali Raj (10,868 runs).

Mandhana was recently crowned ICC’s Women’s Player of the Month in June following her exploits against South Africa. The left-hander returned with scores of 117, 136 and 90, respectively. She also made 149 runs in the one-off Test against the Proteas.

Apart from internationals, Mandhana is the only captain to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a trophy by winning the Women’s Premier League 2024 (in the second edition). Notably, the men’s team are yet to win the silverware since the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) wished Smriti Mandhana on her 28th birthday. One user wrote:

“Happy birthday, Smriti Mandhana!! – The first ever RCB captain in history to lift the trophy. The superstar of the Indian batting unit, wishing her the best.”

RCB wrote:

“It’s a very special day, Queen Smriti Mandhana‘s birthday. The leader of the tribe and rightful helms-woman of our ship. Wishing you many happy returns of the day, Skipper!”

“Wishing the sensational Smriti Mandhana a fabulous birthday! Your elegance on the field and powerful performances inspire millions. May your year be filled with joy, success, and more extraordinary innings,” added another user.

Here are a few more reactions:

Smriti Mandhana to be next seen in 2024 Women’s Asia Cup

Smriti Mandhana will next be in action in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup. The southpaw will look to continue her impressive form in the intercontinental tournament. In T20Is, she recently scored 46 and 54* against South Africa.

In Asia Cup T20s, Mandhana has 306 runs across three editions of the tournament, only behind India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (489 runs).

India will begin their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on Friday, July 19.