"How Do You Block Whatever Is Going On?" Smriti Mandhana Responds

India women's cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana made her first public appearance since her wedding to music composer Palash Muchhal was called off, taking a decisive step towards overcoming a difficult personal period. During an event, the star cricketer emphatically stated her unwavering love for cricket, highlighting that even when her personal life faces challenges, she relies on her bat and her work ethic to regain confidence. The 29-year-old also spoke candidly about the team's historic victory at the ICC Women's ODI World Cup.
Mandhana shared her philosophy on preparation and self-assessment: "I have always been a very simple person, not complicating my life by overthinking anything. One thing I believe is that if you put a lot of work in behind the scenes, because what happens on the ground, everyone looks at and judges, but what I judge myself or the team on is the work we put in behind the scenes. I really pride myself on doing that work day in, day out. Even if I'm feeling good or bad about things, whatever it is, I think if you put in that work, when you go out to bat, you're just very confident about what's going to happen," Smriti said during the event.
The 'Women in Blue' secured their maiden ODI World Cup title on November 2nd, defeating South Africa in the final held at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Speaking at the Amazon Sambhav Summit, Mandhana reiterated the significance of her commitment to the national team:
"I don't think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing that Indian jersey is what motivates us. You set aside all your problems, and that thought alone helps you focus on life. As a kid, the madness for batting was always there. No one understood it, but in my mind, I always wanted to be called a world champion," Mandhana affirmed.
She described the World Cup triumph as the ultimate validation of years of hard work. "Winning the World Cup was the reward for the battle we fought over the years. We were waiting for it so badly. I've been playing for more than 12 years and many times things didn't go our way. We visualised it before the final, and when we finally saw it on the screen, it gave us goosebumps. It was a special moment for all of us," the Indian vice-captain concluded.
The public appearance followed her announcement on Sunday, confirming the cancellation of her wedding to music composer Palaash Muchhal, which ended weeks of intense media speculation surrounding the abrupt postponement of the ceremony last month.
Mandhana's public Instagram post requested privacy for both families: "Over the past few weeks there has been plenty of speculation around my life and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time. I am a very private person and I would like to keep it that way but I need to clarify that the wedding is called off. I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. I request you to please respect the privacy of both families at this time and allow us the space to process and move on at our own pace," the post read.
She finished by underscoring her commitment to her professional life: "I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all and for me that has always been representing my country at the highest level. I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible and that is where my focus will forever be. Thank you for all your support. It's time to move forward."