Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has added yet another remarkable achievement to her glittering career. The star batter has been named in TIME magazine’s prestigious list of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026, becoming the only Indian athlete to feature among some of the biggest names in world sport.

The honour places Mandhana alongside global sporting icons such as football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, basketball superstar LeBron James, tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz, golfer Rory McIlroy, skiing champion Eileen Gu, and South African cricket captain Temba Bavuma.

Standing Among the Titans

TIME included Mandhana in its prestigious “Titans” category, reserved for athletes who have left a lasting impact on their sport.

Sharing space with international sporting giants such as Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, and Temba Bavuma, Mandhana’s inclusion reflects the immense respect she commands worldwide. What makes the achievement even more special is that she is the sole Indian representative on the list. While cricket legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have enjoyed global popularity and success, this year’s recognition belongs exclusively to the elegant left-hander from Mumbai.

Records Keep Falling

TIME’s profile on Mandhana praised her extraordinary consistency and ability to keep rewriting cricket history. The publication highlighted her distinction as the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic one-day match and the first woman from India to register centuries in all three international formats—Tests, One-Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals.

Mandhana is also the joint holder of the record for the most centuries in women’s international cricket, with 17 hundreds to her name. Another milestone that sets her apart is becoming the first woman cricketer to score more than 1,000 ODI runs in a single calendar year, a feat that underlines her dominance at the highest level. 

As TIME aptly noted, “records keep tumbling in” for the Indian batting superstar.

A Leader Who Inspires Success

While individual milestones have defined much of Mandhana’s career, the 29-year-old has repeatedly emphasised the importance of team success. TIME highlighted that Mandhana takes the greatest pride in the collective achievements she has helped create.

As captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, she guided the franchise to Women's Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026, helping establish the team as one of the competition’s powerhouses. At the international level, she played a crucial role as vice-captain when India lifted the ICC Women’s World Cup last year. Her performances with the bat were instrumental, as she finished among the tournament’s leading run-scorers.

Her outstanding performances earned her the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award in 2025 and helped bring unprecedented attention to women’s cricket in India.

Smriti Mandhana’s inclusion in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 is a celebration of Indian sporting excellence. From breaking records to winning trophies and inspiring a generation, Mandhana has become one of the defining faces of modern cricket. She is not just one of India’s biggest stars—she is one of the most influential athletes in the world.