Smriti Mandhana named in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026, only Indian on list

Smriti Mandhana has been placed in the ‘Titans’ category alongside Ronaldo, Erling Haaland and South African captain Temba Bavuma.

Smriti Mandhana TIME 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026

TIME praised Mandhana’s remarkable rise, noting that “records keep tumbling in” for the Mumbai-born opener.

2 min readNew DelhiJun 16, 2026 02:15 PM IST First published on: Jun 16, 2026 at 02:15 PM IST

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has added another accolade to her growing list of achievements, becoming the only Indian athlete featured in TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026.

The annual list honours athletes, coaches, investors and advocates who are “shaping sports today.” This year’s edition is led by basketball great LeBron James and includes global sporting icons such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Alcaraz, Rory McIlroy, Eileen Gu, Victor Wembanyama, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

TIME praised Mandhana’s remarkable rise, noting that “records keep tumbling in” for the Mumbai-born opener. She has been placed in the ‘Titans’ category alongside Ronaldo, Erling Haaland and South African captain Temba Bavuma.