It was, in every sense, more than just winning forcricketer Smriti Mandhana as she guided her team to a second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title yesterday. Trailing a staggering score of 204 by Delhi Capitals, Smriti hit 87 runs in just 41 deliveries, which her coach later confirmed was achieved while she herself was battling a 103-degree fever.
While the sporting world praised Smriti for her unbreakable attitude and spirit, the real inside news from the social media front involves Smriti‘s mother Smita Mandhana. She recently caught the eye of all and sundry on the social media for sharing a popular meme that seemed to have taken a clever dig at Smriti's former fiancé Palash Muchhal, the singer-composer. In the meme, Delhi Capitals cricketers’ images were seen with Palash’s face morphed onto the players , indicating Smriti s putting all the frustration into every boundary she gave.
The public "roast" comes after a tumultuous few months for the cricketer. Last year, Smriti and Palash had planned to get married on November 23. Just a day before the wedding, however, the marriage was mysteriously cancelled. Although the official reasons put forward were that Smriti’s father was hospitalised, the split has since been plagued by controversy. Serious accusations of cheating have recently emerged, with a family friend revealing that Palash was caught with another woman while the wedding was underway.
Smita had re-shared a heart-touching tribute to her daughter’s courage, which mentioned "nights cried in silence" and "storms within" in the last few months. The tribute was re-shared with praises for Smriti for her decision to choose grace over noise, and for letting her bat speak the truth.
Yet, amidst all this off-field drama, Smriti’s focus has been unwavering. Her leadership took RCB to a historic hat-trick of titles, with this latest triumph in women’s cricket in 2024 and last year’s success in the men’s IPL. To fans, peers, and family, this trophy is a testimony to a woman who did not merely survive a storm—she was the storm.
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