Following their historic clean sweep over Sri Lanka, key members of the Indian women’s cricket team, including Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur, and Sneh Rana, visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain to offer prayers.
The players participated in the traditional rituals, seeking blessings after a grueling but successful international assignment. This spiritual visit has become a celebrated tradition for Indian athletes looking to express gratitude after major milestones.
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Smriti, Shafali, Shreyanka, Radha, Renuka & Sneh Rana offered prayers at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain.🙏♥️ [ANI] pic.twitter.com/wBZdAHjZmQ
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 1, 2026
Dominance in the Island Nation
The spiritual retreat follows a flawless performance on the field, where India outclassed Sri Lanka 5-0 in a five-match T20I series that concluded on December 30, 2025.
Record-Breaking Totals: In the fourth T20I, India registered their highest-ever T20I score of 221/2, powered by a massive 162-run opening stand between Smriti Mandhana (80) and Shafali Verma (79).
Individual Milestones: During the series, Smriti Mandhana became only the second Indian woman to surpass 10,000 international runs, reaching the feat faster than any other player in history. Meanwhile, Deepti Sharma scripted history by becoming the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20I cricket, overtaking Australia’s Megan Schutt.
Clinical Finish: The final match in Thiruvananthapuram saw captain Harmanpreet Kaur lead from the front with a 68-run knock, sealing a 15-run victory and a complete series whitewash.
Eyes on WPL 2026
The players won’t have much time to rest, as the focus now shifts to the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), scheduled to run from January 9 to February 5, 2026. Following a high-stakes mega auction in late 2025, squads have been revamped with strategic signings.
Deepti Sharma remains the most expensive Indian player after being retained by UP Warriorz for ₹3.2 crore, while Smriti Mandhana continues to lead the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) with a retention value of ₹3.5 crore.
With matches set to be hosted across iconic venues like Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, the WPL will serve as the ultimate platform for these stars to maintain their momentum ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
