From Cricket Captain To Girls’ Rights Champion: Smriti Mandhana Takes On New UNICEF Role

UNICEF India on Sunday named Indian women’s cricket captain Smriti Mandhana as its celebrity advocate on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl.

The initiative highlights girls’ rights, safety, potential and leadership while drawing attention to the barriers that continue to restrict their choices.

Mandhana will build on her previous advocacy for children’s rights by supporting UNICEF India’s efforts to empower adolescent girls and promote their health, well-being and equal opportunities. She said cricket taught her that opportunity, hard work and encouragement could turn dreams into reality, adding that every child deserved the chance to fulfil their potential.

Mandhana has supported UNICEF-ICC campaigns on gender equality and life skills, along with UNICEF’s Promise to Children campaign.

UNICEF India Representative Cynthia McCaffrey said Mandhana’s journey showed what girls could achieve with equal opportunities. She stressed that investing in girls’ rights, leadership and well-being was vital for India’s young population.

McCaffrey added that UNICEF looked forward to working with Mandhana to help every girl access opportunities to learn, play, lead and realise her potential.

An Arjuna Award recipient, Mandhana became India’s women’s cricket captain earlier this week after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down. She further helped India win its maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title in 2025. That year, she became the first woman to score over 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year, hitting five centuries.

In 2026, Mandhana topped the run charts in women’s international cricket and T20 internationals. She further holds the world’s No 1 ranking in women’s ODI batting and has won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award twice.

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