When Smriti Mandhana steps onto the field as India’s opening batter, millions recognise her not just by her graceful left handed strokes but also by the number on her back. Her jersey number is 18, a mere number on the surface but really representing history, inspiration, and a declaration of her purpose. The story of this number can reveal more about the person behind the image of the highest run scorer in women’s cricket.
What Is Smriti Mandhana’s Jersey Number?
Smriti Mandhana is number 18 jersey player for Indian national women cricket team as well as for her Women’s Premier League team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The number is the same across all formats (ODIs, T20Is, and Test matches), making it her constant identity on the field.
Profile
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Smriti Shrinivas Mandhana |
| Date of Birth | July 18, 1996 |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Jersey Number | 18 |
| Batting Style | Left-handed |
| Role | Opening Batter |
| Teams | India Women, RCB (WPL) |
| Position | Vice-Captain, India Women |
The Personal Story Behind Number 18
Choosing the number for her jersey was Yes not a matter of chance with Smriti Mandhana. During an episode of a podcast, she opened up about her first choice was number 7, a number that was so special to her as it was the number she used as a roll number in school. Having a strong connection to the self, carrying that awareness on the field has always mattered to a player like her.
But, the number 7 was already taken by someone else when she got selected for the Indian women’s cricket team. So instead of her favorite number, she opted to go with a number that means differently but still very closely to her i. e. 18 that is also her birth date, 18 July 1996.
She viewed this not just as a mere option. Number 18 is what ties her to her hometown, her family, and cricketing roots. It keeps her grounded and reminds her of who she is, even when she is under the highest level of pressure on the global stage.
The Virat Kohli Connection
There is something about Smriti Mandhana’s jersey number in the Indian cricket sphere. Besides being her lucky number, 18 is also the jersey number of Virat Kohli, one of the greatest batters to have ever graced the game. Smriti has acknowledged publicly that Kohli’s steadiness, fierceness, and eagerness for perfection have truly motivated her on a number of occasions. Discovering that her birth date brought her to the jersey number of a player she adores so much, made her think that it was more than just a coincidence. So, it was quite meaningful.
In the same vein, Smriti has admitted that among her main inspirations in batting include Kumar Sangakkara and Matthew Hayden who are not only the best left-handed openers of all time in cricket but also have an elegant, technically correct style that is similar to her high-elbow driving one. Referencing her mentor’s number is an additional incentive; it is a silent, mental prod to keep up the unyielding spirit and commitment that marks his career.
The fans use this common number as a point of discussion that connects men’s and women’s cricket, a demonstration of how inspiration knows no boundaries or formats.
The Cricketer Behind the Number
Why Smriti Mandhana’s jersey number holds cultural significance is linked to understanding the magnitude of her accomplishments in cricket. Smriti comes from a Mumbai based cricket loving family. She was inspired to play cricket at a young age by watching her older brother Shravan who played district level cricket in Sangli. What really differentiated her from the rest of the family buffet was her being the only left handed batter as both her parents and brother are right handed. Her father, Shrinivas Mandhana, used to be a chemical distributor and gave her every support to pursue cricket even at a very young age.
At just 16, she played her first match for the national team and after that, she had no hesitation to pursue that route. Career Highlights That Identify Jersey No. 18
Smriti Mandhana’s statistics in cricket are as astounding as the number she wears on her jersey: Fastest Female to 10,000 International Runs, Mandhana made cricketing history by becoming the quickest female to achieve 10,000 international runs threshold; she did it in 281 innings only. Former captain Mithali Raj’s record of 291 innings was broken.
Highest ODI Run Scorer of 2025 Across All Genders In 2025, Mandhana accumulated 1,362 ODI runs, the highest ever by a woman in a single calendar year. On top of that, she was the top run scorer in ODIs for the year not only among women cricketers but also men, outperforming the male batsmen for the second year in a row. First Indian Woman to Score Centuries in All Three Formats, Mandhana became the first Indian woman and only the fifth woman globally to score international centuries in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is joining an elite group that includes England’s Heather Knight and Australia’s Beth Mooney.
As of end 2025, she holds 17 international hundreds across formats, joint most for a woman in the sport alongside Australia’s legendary Meg Lanning. Fastest Woman to 5,000 ODI Runs
The record of the fastest woman to the milestone of 5,000 ODI runs has been broken by Mandhana as she had set the achievement in just 112 innings. West Indian great Stafanie Taylor’s mark of 129 innings was gone.
Jersey Number 18 in the WPL
In the Women’s Premier League, Smriti still plays as number 18 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a team that shares its brand with Virat Kohli’s IPL team-which makes the number symbolically even more significant in that context. She was the one who took RCB to their first-ever WPL title in 2024, as the captain of the team in a tournament that gave the franchise its most cherished moment in women’s cricket.
Why Jersey Numbers Matter in Cricket?
For certain supporters, a cricketer’s jersey number symbolizes all that a cricketer stands for. Number 10 instantly brings to mind the incredible legacy of Sachin Tendulkar. Number 7 is a nostalgic reminder of the graceful MS Dhoni. Also, number 18 in women’s cricket is progressively being equated with Smriti Mandhana’s elegance, excellence, and record-breaking performances.
A lot of young players in India have started to pick number 18 in their school and club cricket mainly as a nod to Mandhana and not in an attempt to copy Kohli. Really, such a transition highlights her increasing impact as an example of the future of women’s cricket in India.
Interesting Facts About Smriti Mandhana
- She is the only left handed batter in an otherwise right handed family
- The cricketer she admires most is Sachin Tendulkar because of his calmness under pressure and the way he handles himself, which she has always found very inspiring
- Her first choice of jersey number was 7 (her school roll number), but she finally chose 18
- Through 2025, she was the highest run scorer in ODIs worldwide, ahead of any other male or female player
- She reached the milestone of 10,000 international runs in fewer innings than some of the greats like Chris Gayle and Rahul Dravid
- She is among the faces of global brands like Nike, Red Bull, Hero MotoCorp Boost Guvi, and Manyavar
- Social media is one of her domains where she has a very significant presence with millions of followers
Conclusion
The Smriti Mandhana jersey number is not merely a date of birth or a coincidental number with Virat Kohli. It acts as a personal identity marker, silent motivation, and signifies remarkable accomplishment. Whenever Smriti Mandhana takes the field with number 18 on her back, she is not only going back in history but also showing her family’s faith and continuously setting records in women’s cricket in India as well as other parts of the world.
For many young cricket supporters and trainees, number 18 is not the exclusive property of one great player. It is shared by two.
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