Had Smriti Mandhana been a male cricketer, she would have made it big on Page 1 of daily newspapers today. On Thursday, the 30-year-old influential southpaw asserted her authority with a knock of 124 runs against minnows Hong Kong at the Asia Cup in Dubai, which catapulted her to the top of the charts in international cricket. Highest run-getter, to get past Meg Lanning and Mithali Raj, what Smriti has achieved is momentous. But then, the smiling girl from Sangli, Maharashtra, who has been plying her trade for 13 years, showed that records do not mean much. The calm demeanour of the lady was on view as she spoke to the media in Dubai on Thursday evening. She spoke glowingly of Mithali Raj and her contributions. What appealed most was Smriti not getting carried away by runs and tons, now that she has 18 international centuries, across formats. By now, Smriti should actually have been leading India, but the wait continues. The kind of chatter one hears about male cricketers is missing about the Indian women. That is wrong for a simple reason: Indian ladies are today on par with world cricketers. India may not have done well in the ICC T20 World Cup in England this summer, but Smriti has been a calming influence in the Indian team. The role she played in India’s ODI World Cup win last year cannot be discounted either, even though there was massive hype around Jemimah Rodrigues. For sure, there are some who feel Harmanpreet Kaur, whose form has been fluctuating like a pendulum in motion, appears past her prime. However, the BCCI has not tried to nudge Harmanpreet, who will also be leading India at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in just about a fortnight. Smriti has always been her supportive deputy in Indian cricket. The cricket writers who treat Indian women’s cricket as a footnote will do well to research how much they have improved in recent times. Smriti has been at the forefront of it, which was best exemplified by the massive win against England in a one-off Test at Lord’s as well this summer. Smriti scored 83 and 70 runs, in two essays, which was a highlight of India’s win. It came in for praise from the British media as well, since this was a 'Lagaan' redux. So, what more does Smriti Mandhana need to prove to many in India that she is a massive star? Women’s cricket is ‘happening’ if one were to use that word. Recently, the cherubic girl spoke in a video about what it was like to bat against seamer Mohammed Shami at the COE in Bengaluru. Shami was ripping deliveries, which left Smriti bruised. It is to her credit that she stood up to nippy Shami, who has been confined to the sidelines by the selectors. There is still hope; Shami may get a nod for the ODI World Cup in 2027, what with so many fast bowlers getting injured. Analysing Smriti Mandhana, what stands out is her dedication and how she has slogged like crazy at the gym. Images of her working out at her Sangli residence gym are crazy. She is pumping iron and doing crazy stuff. Had a male cricketer been doing all this and attained stardom in the IPL, that would have grabbed more headlines. See how Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets hyped up, even though he has just about made a start. Gender bias? Smriti does not need to worry. A seasoned star who plays hard cricket for India, an established legend in the WPL as well, she knows cricket is her life. Just rewind to December 2025, when Smriti’s wedding broke hours before ‘muhurat’; it was shocking. Folks on social media posted vile stuff about the to-be-groom, Palash Muchhal. There was scant respect for the emotions that Smriti underwent. It is to her credit that she has handled even that crisis in her life with aplomb. She had to take a break, spent time with her good pal Jemimah, and then recovered. Personal setbacks can be painful. What one has seen, Smriti has channelised her inner energy to show how strong she is. Massive respect for a lady who should do well at the Asian Games. As regards captaincy, she is waiting patiently. It is just a matter of time before she grabs it rightfully.