{"id":7077,"date":"2026-05-03T03:21:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T03:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/mandhanas-dhoni-like-aura-rcb-star-praised-after-wpl-triumphs"},"modified":"2026-05-03T03:21:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T03:21:37","slug":"mandhanas-dhoni-like-aura-rcb-star-praised-after-wpl-triumphs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/mandhanas-dhoni-like-aura-rcb-star-praised-after-wpl-triumphs","title":{"rendered":"Mandhana\u2019s Dhoni-like aura: RCB star praised after WPL triumphs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Smriti Mandhana has become a standout favourite with cricket fans in the same way many leading men\u2019s players are celebrated. Beyond the popularity, there are clear cricketing reasons for her resonance: she is widely regarded as a highly accomplished batter, and when she is fluent in her strokeplay, very few\u2014across both men\u2019s and women\u2019s cricket\u2014match the elegance she brings to the crease. There is also a \u201cspecial touch\u201d to her batting that, as the comparison goes, would be enough to make the legendary West Indies great Brian Lara take pride.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Smriti Mandhana is praised for her elegant batting and the rare \u201ctouch\u201d she shows when she is in rhythm.<\/li>\n<li>She has been a leading force as a captain since the start of the Women\u2019s Premier League in 2023.<\/li>\n<li>RCB have lifted the WPL trophy twice during her captaincy tenure.<\/li>\n<li>Dinesh Karthik highlighted Mandhana\u2019s leadership and clarity in decision-making, not just her batting.<\/li>\n<li>Karthik compared her leadership style to MS Dhoni, calling it a major compliment.<\/li>\n<li>Mandhana, a key member of India\u2019s World Cup-winning side last year, was named in India\u2019s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in England.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Mandhana\u2019s captaincy and RCB\u2019s rise<\/h2>\n<p>Mandhana\u2019s impact is not limited to her performances with the bat. She has also been the face of leadership for Royal Challengers Bangalore from the very first season of the Women\u2019s Premier League, which began in 2023. In the four years since the league\u2019s launch, RCB have won the title twice under her tenure. The contrast is especially striking when her captaincy is compared with the earlier RCB era associated with Virat Kohli, where it took 18 years for the franchise to achieve that kind of trophy success, with Rajat Patidar playing a role described as more \u201clesser-known\u201d in inspiring that journey.<\/p>\n<h2>Karthik\u2019s praise: leadership first, Dhoni-style freedom<\/h2>\n<p>Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik offered his endorsement of the left-handed batter, and the focus of his praise was her ability to lead. He pointed to how Mandhana presents herself with purpose and how clearly she understands what is happening in the match. Karthik described her as someone who \u201cknows what she is doing\u201d and has an intuitive grasp of situations, which helps her guide the team effectively.<\/p>\n<p>He then underlined what he called the highest level of leadership compliment\u2014one that extends beyond Mandhana alone. Karthik said Mandhana gives her teammates the space to play their natural game, allowing them to execute plans without unnecessary constraints. At the same time, if doubts surface or clarity is needed, she is there to support and steer the side. He added that the last person he had heard with a similar trait was MS Dhoni, and he described the comparison as being delivered \u201cvery graciously.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>International milestones and T20 World Cup call-up<\/h2>\n<p>Mandhana has close to 300 international appearances, and she was also an important member of the India squad that won the World Cup last year for the first time ever. With her experience and leadership role now firmly established, the 29-year-old has received another major opportunity: she was named in India\u2019s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in England. The tournament is set to begin in June, and Karthik\u2019s comments are expected to add even more motivation as she heads into the contest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smriti Mandhana has become a standout favourite with cricket fans in the same way many leading men\u2019s players are celebrated. Beyond the popularity, there are&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Smriti Mandhana IPL Buzz: RCB Star Praised After WPL Wins","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Smriti Mandhana\u2019s Dhoni-like aura sparks praise after WPL triumph\u2014RCB star\u2019s elegant batting and match-winning touch steal the spotlight.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Smriti Mandhana IPL Buzz: RCB Star Praised After WPL Wins<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Smriti Mandhana\u2019s Dhoni-like aura sparks praise after WPL triumph\u2014RCB star\u2019s elegant batting and 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