"I am sure Virat would agree to that" - Team India star’s blunt take on being questioned repeatedly about famous jersey number

Team India star Smriti Mandhana made a blunt take on being questioned repeatedly about her famous jersey number. Notably, Smriti shares the same jersey number (18) as Virat Kohli.

On an episode of 'The Long Off Show', she was asked how she felt about being asked the same question over and over again about how it felt to have the same jersey number as Virat. Smriti Mandhana expressed that she felt irritated upon being asked the same question all the time.

"I feel like, okay, before 2017 you can ask that, I still understand that. It’s come a long way from what you know it was. Even now, you know, there are questions like “Is this how it really is? Does this actually happen?” I mean, the fact that my jersey number is the same, everything is the same, and honestly, I have crazy respect even for Virat. But the fact is, we’re going into a tournament that’s a women’s cricket tournament. Being asked the same question again and again about how it feels to have the same jersey number, that irritates me quite a lot and I am sure Virat would agree to that," she said.

Smriti was the vice-captain of the Indian team that recently won the World Cup 2025. The Women in Blue beat South Africa by 52 runs in the final to clinch their maiden ICC title.

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India's World Cup 2025 winning star on perceptions about her surname and hilarious questions she was asked

The star India batter also cleared the air around her surname. She revealed that a lot of people thought she hailed from Coorg because of her surname, Mandhana. The 29-year-old added that she was called 'Coorg's pride' and 'Coorg's honor' when India made it to the final of the 2017 World Cup.

"Because of my surname, a lot of people think I'm from Coorg because I think Mandana, I don’t know how it’s pronounced there, but it’s a very Coorgi surname. When people start talking Kannada, I’m like, “Okay, it’ll take a little time for me.” And someone actually told me that during the 2017 World Cup, that was the first time women’s cricket was seen. There were posters like “Coorg’s pride” and “Coorg’s honor” or something. I’m not sure if I’ve seen it, but that’s what I heard," she said.

Smriti also revealed a hilarious question she was asked being a women's cricketer. She was once asked if she wore makeup before a match.

"That question is hilarious to me. Someone once asked me what I put on before a match. I said sunscreen. They asked compact? I said why would I put compact and go to bat. This question was asked to me."

Smriti is among the top batters in women's cricket. She is currently ranked second in the ICC Women's ODI batting rankings and third in the T20I batting rankings.

NOTE: 'This interview was recorded before Smriti Mandhana's father was hospitalized'

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Edited by Rishab Vm