Overview
- TIME published its 2026 list on Tuesday and named Mandhana the only Indian featured, with South Africa captain Temba Bavuma the only other cricketer included.
- The magazine highlighted concrete milestones including the first Indian woman double century in a domestic one-day match, centuries in all three international formats and a joint record of 17 international hundreds.
- Mandhana set and then broke the record for most international runs by a woman in a calendar year in 2024 and 2025, a run that helped earn her BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025.
- Her leadership has driven team success: she captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Women’s Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026 and was vice-captain as India won the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2025.
- Mandhana’s inclusion signals growing global visibility for Indian women’s cricket and could boost commercial and media attention for the sport as she continues to perform at the T20 World Cup.