Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 7 : The elevation of star opener Smriti Mandhana as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team has inspired a musical tribute from Kerala, with a cricket historian penning a song celebrating her remarkable career.
Professor Vasisht, a cricket historian from Kerala and an ardent admirer of Mandhana, has written the lyrics for the song, while his former student Silu Fathima has composed the music and lent her voice to it.
The song has been released on social media and has been attracting attention among cricket followers.
Mandhana, one of the most popular women sportspersons in the Indian subcontinent, has already assembled an impressive collection of honours.
She was part of the Indian team that won the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup and has also been a member of India’s victorious Women’s Asia Cup teams in 2016 and 2022. Mandhana has won gold medals at the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games and a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She has also won two Women's Premier League titles.
Her batting record has made her one of the defining figures in women's international cricket. Mandhana is among the leading run-scorers in international women’s cricket and holds several major batting records. She is the first Indian woman to score an international century in all three formats: Test, ODI and T20I.
Mandhana added another feather to her illustrious cap as she became the first women's cricketer to complete 11,000 runs in international cricket during the Asian Games final against Sri Lanka
For Professor Vasisht, the song is the latest expression of a long-standing admiration for the Indian star. He has earlier compiled booklets on Mandhana and organised photo exhibitions dedicated to her at various women’s colleges in Kerala.
The professor believes Mandhana’s elevation as captain could usher in another successful phase for Indian women’s cricket. He hopes she will lead India to a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will return to the Olympic programme.
The song, written in English, captures Mandhana’s journey from a celebrated batter to the leader of the Indian women’s team.
Fathima, who was once Vasisht’s student, has given musical form to his tribute.
For the Kerala cricket historian, the song is not merely a celebration of a sporting icon. It is also an expression of his belief that Mandhana can inspire a new generation of girls to take up cricket and help Indian women’s cricket reach even greater heights.
Cricket historian from Kerala pays musical tribute to Smriti Mandhana
