On July 18, Indian women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana celebrated her 28th birthday amidst the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. To mark the occasion, her teammates, including Jemimah Rodrigues, made the day memorable with heartfelt gestures.
Special Birthday Surprise
The BCCI shared a touching video featuring birthday wishes from Mandhana’s family, including her brother and mother, as well as her teammates. In the video, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and other players, including Shreyanka Patil and Jemimah Rodrigues, joined in singing a birthday song.
Jemimah Rodrigues stood out with a personal touch. She gifted Mandhana a hand-painted chai cup, which she crafted herself. The cup depicted various elements related to Mandhana’s career, including her scoring a century, the cheers from the stands, her jersey number 18, and even her bowling—reflecting Mandhana’s recent all-rounder role.
Rodrigues commented, “Smriti loves to have tea, so I made her this chai cup. It features her scoring a century, the cheers from the stands, her jersey number, and even her bowling since she’s become an all-rounder.”
Mandhana’s Form and Future
Mandhana’s recent performances have been exceptional. In the multi-format series against South Africa, she scored two consecutive ODI centuries and continued her form with a 149 in the one-off Test and an unbeaten 54 in the third T20I. She will aim to maintain this form in the Women’s Asia Cup and the upcoming T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
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