Short Description: Star batter Smriti Mandhana clinches BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025 award after leading India’s historic Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph. Read about her record-breaking feat and the other inspiring winners celebrated at the ceremony.
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Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana has been crowned the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025, a prestigious honor recognizing her pivotal role in India’s historic 2025 Women’s World Cup triumph. The award was presented at a ceremony in New Delhi, highlighting a landmark year for women’s cricket. Mandhana, 29, is already among the game’s greats, holding the record for the second-most centuries in women’s ODIs. Her September 2024 performance, where she scored a 50-ball hundred against Australia—breaking Virat Kohli’s record for the fastest 50-over international century by an Indian—showcased her explosive talent. In a video message from Australia, where she is currently on tour, she expressed her gratitude, calling 2025 “a special year for women’s cricket.”
The ceremony also celebrated excellence across a spectrum of sports and honored multiple groundbreaking achievements. Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh was named the BBC Emerging Player of the Year for her historic victory at the FIDE Women’s World Cup at just 20 years old. Meanwhile, Para-athlete Preethi Pal won the Para-Sportswoman of the Year for her twin bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in track and field. One of the evening’s most poignant moments was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to pioneering shooter Anjali Bhagwat, India’s first woman shooter to reach an Olympic final.
Beyond the individual awards, the gala served as a powerful showcase for the collective rise of women in sports. The Indian Women’s Cricket Team was honored as a Star Performer for their World Cup win, alongside the women’s kabaddi and blind cricket teams. Furthermore, the ceremony introduced the new BBC Changemakers of the Year category, recognizing figures like hockey legends Savita Punia and Rajbir Kaur, and the barrier-breaking Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team. This broad recognition underscores a significant and exciting shift in India’s sporting landscape, as noted by BBC News CEO Jonathan Munro, who praised these “stories of human endeavour and outstanding success.”
Short Summary: The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025 awards celebrated a transformative era in Indian sports. Headlined by cricketer Smriti Mandhana’s crowning achievement following the historic World Cup win, the event honored a diverse array of champions including chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh and Paralympian Preethi Pal. The ceremony’s expansive recognition of teams and changemakers powerfully highlights the unprecedented momentum and growing legacy of women’s sports in India.
