Smriti Mandhana was asked when she last cried.
“I don’t remember. I cry for movies, I don’t cry for my real life. If I watch a movie, I will cry. So I was watching ‘Musafir Cafe,’ just got to me, happy emotional, and I cried.”
Smriti Mandhana, Figuring Out with Raj Shamani podcast, September 2026
A Netflix film about love and travel made her cry. Real life does not. The rest of the podcast proved why.
When Raj Shamani asked which match hurt her most, Mandhana did not hesitate.
“Dubai really hurt me, that World Cup. This World Cup, we could not qualify into the semi-final. That hurt me.”
Smriti Mandhana, Figuring Out with Raj Shamani podcast, September 2026
The World Cup she meant was the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai. India went in as genuine contenders. They finished 2-2 in Group A and never made the semi-finals.
The loss to New Zealand in the opener set the tone. India were bowled out for 102 chasing 160. A 58-run defeat that left no room for recovery. They beat Pakistan comfortably and demolished Sri Lanka by 82 runs. Then came Australia. India needed 152. They made 142 for 9. Nine runs short.
When New Zealand beat Pakistan on October 14, 2024, India’s tournament ended without them playing. Eliminated by arithmetic.
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Nine runs against Australia. That is the number that stays with you in a dressing room.
Not the New Zealand loss, where India were never in the game. The Australia match. You do not lose by 9 runs because you lacked the talent. You lose by 9 runs because two or three moments went the wrong way. A played-and-missed that could have been four. A run-out call half a second late. The team knows it had the quality. That is the worst kind of cricket pain. Not being outclassed. Being right there and watching it slip.
Mandhana said “that hurt me” and moved on. No tactical breakdown. No blame. That restraint tells you everything about how she processes cricket.
Smriti Mandhana opens up about the toughest days of her cricket career and her love for movies. 🤍🎬#Cricket #India #Smriti pic.twitter.com/B2WSMN4Ctp
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) September 13, 2026
The conversation shifted to personal territory. Mandhana shut it down.
“I hate sympathy, any sort of sympathy. Don’t look at me like I am a bechari. I am fine. I am strong.”
Smriti Mandhana, Figuring Out with Raj Shamani podcast, September 2026
She explained why she keeps her personal life out of interviews entirely. “Get inspired by the game, not by the story.” That was not a casual line. It was a boundary she has drawn for herself and held.
‘Don’t Take Panga With Me’
“I don’t think anyone would see me as someone who gets angry easily, but I can get very angry,” she said. “Don’t take panga with me. As long as I don’t come in your way, don’t come in mine. I won’t take revenge, but I won’t forget it either.”
Then, one line that summed it all up: “I would forgive, but I won’t forget.”
On failure, her position was just as clear.
“If you keep crying and sitting on those mistakes, I feel as what are you getting out of it? You’re not improving yourself, you’re not getting better. So that’s one thing which for me, never dwell on something for a very long period of time.”
Dubai hurt. Musafir Cafe made her cry. But dwelling is not part of how she operates. The movie gets the tears because everything else has already been processed and put away. That is how she has played for over 12 years. That is why she is still here.
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