Smriti Mandhana Crowned BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025

New Delhi – Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket team, has been awarded the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025. The recognition comes after a remarkable year that saw her play a pivotal role in India’s 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup victory, scoring 434 runs throughout the tournament .

World Cup Triumph and WPL Success

Mandhana’s performance was instrumental in India’s success at the World Cup. She also led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title . The 29-year-old has scored 17 international centuries across all formats, equaling the record held by Australia’s Meg Lanning .

Award Selection and Recognition

The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award is judged by a distinguished panel including Grand Slam tennis champion Leander Paes, Paralympic medallist Deepa Malik and World Championship long-jump medallist Anju Bobby George . Mandhana was chosen from a shortlist that included India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, chess champion Divya Deshmukh, shooter Suruchi Singh, and hurdler Jyothi Yarraji.

Other Honorees at the ISWOTY Awards

The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year ceremony also recognized other outstanding athletes. Divya Deshmukh was named BBC Emerging Player of the Year after winning the Women’s World Cup in chess at the age of 20, becoming the fourth Indian woman to achieve the title of chess grandmaster . Preethi Pal received the BBC Para Sportswoman of the Year award for her two medals at the 2025 World Championships . Shooter Anjali Bhagwat was honored with the BBC ISWOTY Lifetime Achievement award for her contributions to Indian shooting, including being the first Indian female shooter to reach an Olympic final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics .

Mandhana’s Reflections

Accepting the award, Mandhana expressed her gratitude and highlighted the significance of the year for women’s cricket. “Thank you BBC for giving me the award for Best Sportswoman of the Year,” she said. “2025 was a special year for women’s cricket, especially towards the end we had a World Cup and I’m happy I could contribute and help India win matches” .