"Just because I wear No.18 jersey..." Smriti Mandhana urges fans to not compare her with Virat Kohli

Smriti Mandhana led RCB to the WPL 2024 title earlier this year.

India women’s cricket team opener and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is one of the most prominent female athletes in the country. The left-handed batter is hailed for her elegant and consistent display with the bat for the national side.

She added a feather to her cap this year by leading the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise to the Women’s Premier League (WPL) trophy – this was RCB’s first trophy across all competitions, as they have failed to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the now-defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20) even once.

Inevitably, fans drew comparisons of Mandhana with RCB and India legend Virat Kohli. Incidentally, both of them wear the number 18 jersey.

Virat Kohli has achieved a lot: Smriti Mandhana

Speaking at an event recently, Mandhana urged the fans to not make any comparisons between her and Kohli.

Speaking on an episode of Sustainable Tea with Shreya, Mandhana said, “I don’t like comparisons. Don’t compare him with me just because I’m wearing a No.18 jersey.”

The stylish women’s cricket team opener hailed Kohli for his incredible achievements. Mandhana hopes that RCB’s victory in the WPL this year would bring luck to the franchise and they would win more trophies in the coming years.

She added, “Virat Kohli has achieved a lot. He’s a legend of the game. He has won a World Cup and a Champions Trophy. I feel franchise cricket is a lot more about luck. Hope this cup (the WPL Trophy) has started the luck for RCB. You never know.”

The next major assignment for Mandhana and the Indian women’s cricket team is the Women’s T20 World Cup in October, scheduled to be played in Bangladesh.

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