During a segment on RCB Bold Diaries, Smriti Mandhana disclosed that if not a cricketer, she would have liked to be a chef. Mandhana’s love for cooking and the restaurant/hotel business is the reason why she opened her own cafe in Sangli. Named SM 18 Sports Café, the cricketer’s cafe celebrated its fifth anniversary in May 2024.
6. Brand endorsements
Besides being a successful cricketer, Smriti Mandhana is also an influential personality on social media. She currently has 11.5 million followers on Instagram. Given her soaring popularity, Mandhana has gained multiple brand endorsement deals with brands like SBI, The Leela, Hyundai, Dairy Milk, Maggi, Tata Tea Gold, Herbal Life, A23 Rummy and more. According to Moneycontrol, Smriti Mandhana charges anywhere between Rs 40 and 75 lakh, even going up to Rs 1 crore, per brand endorsement.
7. The highest-bid player in WPL auction history & Royal Challengers Bangalore’s WPL 2024 win
At the inaugural WPL (Women’s Premier League) auction in February 2023, Smriti Mandhana made history by being the most expensive player. The cricketer was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping Rs 3.4 crore. Under Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy, RCB won their maiden WPL title in 2024, after defeating Delhi Capitals in the finals.
8. The secret to her cricketing success
In an interview with GQ India in 2022, we asked Smriti Mandhana about the secret behind her success. The cricketer humbly replied, “Working hard day in and day out, regardless of what happens on the field. It’s all about the effort behind the scenes that not many get to see.”
9. Smriti Mandhana’s favourite cricketer
