Smriti Mandhana
Jemimah Rodrigues reveals the story behind Smriti Mandhana’s playful warning to Harmanpreet Kaur after the World Cup triumph. (Credits ; Jio Hotstar)

Overview:

The BCCI shared a video of the event on its social media accounts, and Mandhana reposted it on her Instagram story.

Smriti Mandhana, India’s vice-captain, praised her teammate Harmanpreet Kaur following the unveiling of a stadium stand in her name at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Another stand was named after ex-India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and PCA President Amarjit Mehta, BCCI President Mithun Manhas and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria were present during the function.

The BCCI shared a video of the event on its social media accounts, and Mandhana reposted it on her Instagram story, writing, “Congratulations @imharmanpreet_kaur!! What a day for women’s cricket and so so proud of you!”

“After the World Cup victory, my life has changed in many ways, but today is very special. The field where I started my cricket journey now has a stand named after me, which fills me with pride. I am grateful to the Punjab Cricket Association for this recognition. All my efforts and sacrifices have led to this moment. It’s deeply emotional, and I hope it motivates everyone who sees or hears this,” Harmanpreet Kaur said.

In a historic achievement last month, Harmanpreet led the Indian women’s team to their inaugural ICC Women’s World Cup title after defeating South Africa by 52 runs at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

She is the third female Indian cricketer to be honoured with a stadium stand named after her, following Jhulan Goswami (Eden Gardens, Kolkata) and Mithali Raj (ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam). Notably, she is the only active player to achieve this accolade.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of...