Manchester Super Giants sign Smriti Mandhana for The Hundred

India’s star batter Smriti Mandhana is set to return to The Hundred in 2026 after being signed by Manchester Super Giants. The left-handed opener did not play in the last season but will now feature in a star-studded squad that includes Australia’s Meg Lanning and England spinner Sophie Ecclestone.
Mandhana has joined the Super Giants through a direct signing, brings valuable experience and class to the team and boosting their batting strength at the top.

Since the tournament began, Mandhana has been one of its most consistent performers. While playing for Southern Brave, she became the first woman to score more than 500 runs in The Hundred. Her performances across seasons have made her one of the competition’s top and most valuable batters.

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In the 2023 season, she scored two half-centuries in a row, including an unbeaten 70 from 42 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and she also ended the season among the highest run-getters. In 2022, she was Southern Brave’s leading scorer with 211 runs in eight matches.

So far, six Indian players have taken part in The Hundred. Apart from Mandhana, the list includes India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, star all-rounder Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, aggressive wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh and middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues.

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The Women’s Hundred 2026 will be played from July 21 to Aug 16, bringing top women’s franchise cricket to grounds across England and Wales.

Mandhana in strong form

Mandhana has also been in fine touch in the Women’s Premier League 2026 while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In RCB’s nine-wicket win over UP Warriorz, she remained unbeaten on 47 off 32 balls and helped to build a huge 137-run opening stand with Grace Harris (85).