New Delhi: UNICEF India on Sunday announced Indian women’s cricket captain Smriti Mandhana as their celebrity advocate on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl, which highlights girls’ rights, safety, potential, and leadership, alongside the barriers that continue to limit their choices.
In this new role, Mandhana will build upon her previous work advocating for equal rights and opportunities for children and young people and will advocate for equal opportunities for girls to play and thrive.
She will support UNICEF India’s efforts to empower adolescent girls, promote their health and well-being, and enable them to reach their full potential.
“I am deeply honoured to join UNICEF India as a Celebrity Advocate. Growing up playing cricket taught me that every dream begins with an opportunity. With hard work, determination, and encouragement, that opportunity can turn into something extraordinary. Every child and young person deserves the chance to dream big and reach their full potential,” Mandhana said.
Mandhana has previously supported UNICEF-ICC campaigns focused on gender equality and life skills, as well as UNICEF’s Promise to Children campaign.
“Smriti’s journey from an aspiring young athlete to a global cricket icon demonstrates to girls what is possible when talent meets opportunity. At a time when India is home to the world’s largest generation of children and young people, investing in girls’ rights, leadership, and wellbeing is a nation’s smartest investment. We look forward to partnering with Smriti to help ensure every girl has the opportunity to learn, play, lead, and fulfill her potential,” said UNICEF India Representative Cynthia McCaffrey.
An Arjuna Award recipient, Mandhana was appointed as the women’s cricket team’s captain earlier this week after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down. She was part of the squad that won India’s first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title in 2025. That same year, she became the first woman to score over 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year, setting a record with five ODI centuries.
In 2026, Mandhana became the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket and women’s T20 internationals. She is the world’s top-ranked women’s ODI batter and a two-time ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.
–IANS
