'Happy birthday Smriti Mandhana' trends as fans celebrate southpaw's 25th birthday

Swashbuckling Indian women's cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana turned 25 on Sunday. Smriti is arguably the best Indian batter of this generation and has ensured good starts for the Indian eves while opening the innings. 

As the Sangli cricketer turned a year older, wishes poured in from all the passionate fans on social media.

Happy birthday Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana Records

Smriti Mandhana has represented India at the highest level in three Tests, 51 ODIs, and, 81 T20Is since she had the first burst onto the scene back in 2013.

However, Sangli is where it had all started for Smriti. Cricket was in her blood her father and elder brother had played cricket at the district level for Sangli and she was inspired to take up the game after watching her brother play at the Maharashtra state Under-16s tournaments.

At the age of nine, she was selected in Maharashtra's Under-15 team and when Mandhana was 11,  she was picked for the Maharashtra Under-19s team and there was no looking back from then on as she grabbed all the opportunities that had come her way as she made her debut in for India in April 2013. 

The star batter was an integral member of the Indian squad that had reached the finals of ICC Women's World Cup 2017 and ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 and the ICC Women's T20 2018 where the Women In Blue had finished as the semi-finalists. However, the Sangli cricketer's failure to bat did the talking in both the World Cup final matches as she was dismissed early. India went on to lose the tournament decider on both occasions. 

Smriti Mandhana was last seen in action during the series-deciding third T20 India against England earlier this week where she had scored a 51-ball 70. Her knock included eight boundaries and a couple of sixes at a strike rate of 137.25. Apart from Mandhana, only skipper Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in with a 26-ball 36, and, wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh scored a 13-ball 20. Chasing 154 runs to win,  England Women guided by Danni Wyatt's 56-ball unbeaten 89 won the match by 8 wickets and also claimed the series by 2-1.