Former India captain MS Dhoni shared the story behind his congratulatory message to Smriti Mandhana following India's maiden Women's ODI World Cup triumph in 2025. The interaction took place during a promotional event in Mumbai, where Dhoni and Mandhana appeared together as brand ambassadors for Gulf Oil Lubricants.
Mandhana revealed that Dhoni had sent her a WhatsApp message after India won the World Cup. She admitted that receiving a message from the former India captain was a pleasant surprise, particularly because he is known for keeping his phone usage limited.
Dhoni explained that he contacted Mandhana because he did not have the phone numbers of other members of the Indian women's team. He wanted to congratulate the players and asked Mandhana to pass on his message to the entire squad.
The former India captain also recalled that he and Mandhana had previously worked together during a commercial shoot. Their earlier interaction made it easier for him to reach out after India's historic achievement.
The conversation also highlighted the wider significance of India's World Cup victory. Dhoni spoke about how winning a major international tournament could inspire more young girls to take up cricket and consider it a professional career.
India created history on November 2, 2025, by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the Women's ODI World Cup final at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. It was India's first Women's ODI World Cup title.
Batting first, India scored 298/7 in 50 overs. Shafali Verma led the innings with 87 runs, while Deepti Sharma contributed 58. In reply, South Africa were bowled out for 246. Deepti played a decisive role with the ball, taking five wickets.
The victory marked a major milestone for Indian women's cricket and provided a significant boost to the growth of the women's game in the country.
Dhoni's message to Mandhana was a simple gesture of appreciation, but his explanation offered an insight into the respect he has for the team's achievement and the importance of India's historic World Cup success.
