The annual list is headlined by basketball icon LeBron James and includes some of the biggest names in international sport, such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Alcaraz, Rory McIlroy, Eileen Gu, Victor Wembanyama, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
TIME highlighted Mandhana’s extraordinary rise in world cricket, noting that records continue to fall in her path. The Mumbai-born opener became the first Indian woman to score a double century in a domestic one-day match and the first Indian batter to register centuries in all three international formats. She also jointly holds the record for the most centuries in women’s international cricket, with 17 hundreds to her name.
Mandhana further etched her name in cricket history by becoming the first woman to score more than 1,000 One-Day International runs in a single calendar year. Despite her remarkable individual milestones, TIME noted that the left-handed batter places the highest value on the collective success of the teams she represents.
Her leadership credentials have been equally impressive. Mandhana captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Women’s Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026. She also played a pivotal role as vice-captain of the Indian team during its victorious ICC Women’s ODI World Cup campaign last year, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer.
The 29-year-old’s consistency across formats has been unmatched. She set a new record for the most international runs scored by a woman across formats in 2024 and surpassed her own benchmark again in 2025. Her exceptional performances also earned her the prestigious BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award.
Mandhana’s inclusion in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 underlines her growing global stature and reinforces her position as one of the most accomplished and influential figures in contemporary cricket. The recognition not only celebrates her individual excellence but also highlights the rising prominence of Indian women’s cricket on the world stage.
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