Smriti Mandhana captaincy inspires Kerala historian's musical tribute
Synopsis
A Kerala cricket historian has written and released a song honouring Smriti Mandhana's appointment as India women's captain — a tribute that also captures her status as the first women's cricketer to reach 11,000 international runs. It is a small but telling cultural signal of how women's cricket is reshaping India's sporting imagination.
Key Takeaways
Professor Vasisht , a cricket historian from Kerala , has written a song celebrating Smriti Mandhana's captaincy of the Indian women's cricket team .
The music was composed and sung by Silu Fathima , a former student of Professor Vasisht; the song has been released on social media.
Mandhana is the first women's cricketer to complete 11,000 runs in international cricket, a milestone she reached during the Asian Games final against Sri Lanka .
She is also the first Indian woman to score an international century in all three formats — Test, ODI, and T20I .
Mandhana's honours include the 2025 Women's World Cup , gold medals at the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games , a 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medal , and two WPL titles .
Professor Vasisht hopes Mandhana will lead India to a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics , where cricket returns to the Olympic programme.
The appointment of star opener Smriti Mandhana as captain of the Indian women's cricket team has sparked a heartfelt musical tribute from Thiruvananthapuram, with a Kerala-based cricket historian penning an original song to celebrate her extraordinary journey in the sport.
The Song and Its Creators
Professor Vasisht, a cricket historian from Kerala and a long-standing admirer of Mandhana, has authored the lyrics for the tribute. His former student Silu Fathima has composed the music and lent her voice to the piece. Written in English, the song traces Mandhana's evolution from a celebrated batter to the leader of the Indian women's cricket team.
The song has been released on social media, where it has been drawing attention from cricket enthusiasts across the country. For Professor Vasisht, this is not his first tribute to the cricketer — he has previously compiled booklets on Mandhana and organised photo exhibitions dedicated to her at several women's colleges in Kerala.
Mandhana's Record-Breaking Career
The inspiration behind the tribute is formidable. Mandhana played a pivotal role in India's triumph at the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup and has been part of Women's Asia Cup-winning sides in 2016 and 2022. She has earned gold medals at both the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games and a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, in addition to winning two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.
Her batting numbers place her among the foremost run-scorers in women's international cricket. Notably, she is the first Indian woman to score an international century in all three formats — Test, ODI, and T20I. During the Asian Games final against Sri Lanka, she became the first women's cricketer to reach 11,000 runs in international cricket, a landmark that underlines her stature in the global game.
What the Tribute Represents
According to reports, Professor Vasisht views Mandhana's elevation to the captaincy as a potential turning point for Indian women's cricket. He believes her leadership could open a new chapter of success for the team, and he reportedly hopes she will guide India to a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket is set to return to the Olympic programme after over a century.
Beyond sport, the professor sees Mandhana as a figure capable of inspiring a new generation of girls to take up cricket. His song, and the broader body of work he has dedicated to her, reflects that conviction.
A Growing Cultural Footprint
The musical tribute is part of a broader cultural acknowledgement of women's cricket in India, a sport that has seen surging fan interest since the rise of players like Mandhana. The fact that a cricket historian has dedicated booklets, exhibitions, and now a song to a women's cricketer speaks to the shifting popular imagination around the game in the country.
With Mandhana now at the helm of the Indian women's side, the cricket world will be watching closely to see whether her leadership matches the legacy her batting has already built.
Point of View
But the underlying trend is a decade of rising viewership, WPL investment, and World Cup success. The tribute also quietly raises the stakes for her leadership: being a record-setter is one thing, but captaincy invites a different kind of scrutiny. Whether she can convert individual brilliance into team-building is the real question — and the 2028 Olympics gives that question a concrete deadline.
NationPress
7 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has paid a musical tribute to Smriti Mandhana and why?
Professor Vasisht, a cricket historian from Kerala, wrote the lyrics of a song honouring Smriti Mandhana following her appointment as captain of the Indian women's cricket team. His former student Silu Fathima composed the music and sang the song, which has been released on social media.
What records does Smriti Mandhana hold in women's cricket?
Mandhana is the first women's cricketer to complete 11,000 runs in international cricket, achieving the milestone during the Asian Games final against Sri Lanka. She is also the first Indian woman to score an international century in all three formats — Test, ODI, and T20I.
What titles and medals has Smriti Mandhana won?
Mandhana has won the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup, Women's Asia Cup titles in 2016 and 2022, gold medals at the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games, a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and two Women's Premier League titles.
What is Professor Vasisht's hope for Mandhana as captain?
Professor Vasisht believes Mandhana's captaincy could begin a new successful phase for Indian women's cricket. He reportedly hopes she will lead India to a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket returns to the Olympic programme.
Why is cricket returning to the Olympics in 2028?
Cricket is set to feature at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as part of a broader expansion of the Games programme, marking the sport's return to the Olympics after more than a century. Mandhana's supporters see the event as a major goal for her captaincy tenure.
