Indian cricket icon Smriti Mandhana has made headlines as soon as once more by securing a marquee transfer to a newly rebranded franchise for the 2026 version of The Hundred. The 100-ball event, which has change into a staple of the English summer season, will see one among its greatest stars change allegiances after a legendary tenure along with her earlier aspect. Mandhana, identified for her elegant stroke play and aggressive opening begins, enters this new chapter in the course of the peak of her powers, having just lately performed a transformative position for the Indian nationwide staff on the world stage.
Right here’s the place Smriti Mandhana will play in The Hundred 2026 season
Indian celebrity Mandhana has formally signed with the newly rebranded Manchester Tremendous Giants. Mandhana joins the staff following a prolific 2025 season the place she was instrumental in main India to their first-ever ICC ODI World Cup victory. The prolific opening batter makes the transfer to Previous Trafford following a adorned stint with the Southern Courageous (2021–2024), the place she established herself as one of many event’s most constant performers, amassing 676 runs at a strike charge of practically 140.
Mandhana’s transition to Manchester marks a high-profile direct signing for the franchise, which has moved rapidly to safe her companies in the course of the present retention window. By becoming a member of forces with Australian legend Meg Lanning and England’s spin sensation Sophie Ecclestone, Mandhana will enters the 2026 marketing campaign on the peak of her powers, contemporary off a historic 2025 season the place she vice-captained India to their maiden ICC ODI World Cup title.
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A worldwide powerhouse rebrand in The Hundred following a landmark acquisition
The Manchester Originals have formally transitioned into a brand new period, having been rebranded because the Manchester Tremendous Giants forward of the 2026 season. This transformation follows a landmark acquisition by Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group, which bought a 70 % stake within the franchise for roughly £80 million. The rebranding aligns the staff with Goenka’s different premier cricket properties, together with the Lucknow Tremendous Giants within the IPL and Durban’s Tremendous Giants within the SA20.
By bringing the ‘Tremendous Giants’ id to The Hundred, the possession goals to ascertain a constant international model. Goenka shared his imaginative and prescient for the venture on X and Instagram, emphasizing that Manchester’s wealthy sporting legacy makes it the right dwelling for this enlargement. He famous that the franchise is dedicated to turning into a core a part of town’s tradition, with the brand new id representing their high-reaching ambitions to safe silverware in each the boys’s and ladies’s classes.
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This text was first revealed at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times firm.
