From called-off marriage to championship glory – Smriti Mandhana’s WPL 2026 fairytale

Smriti Mandhana completed a remarkable turnaround in early 2026, transitioning from a deeply personal, high-profile heartbreak to leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their second Women's Premier League (WPL) title. Following the cancellation of her wedding to music composer Palash Muchhal in late 2025—which was initially postponed due to her father’s health issues and later officially called off—Mandhana channelled her focus back into cricket.

Despite the personal turbulence, which included intense media speculation and the calling off of her marriage, Mandhana was lauded for her resilience, returning to the nets shortly after the, most difficult phase of her life to dominate the 2026 WPL season.

Just months before the tournament, Mandhana’s personal life had become the subject of headlines when her marriage plans were unexpectedly called off. In a cricketing world that often blurs the line between personal and professional, the news sparked speculation about how the setback might affect her game. But Mandhana, known for her composure and quiet strength, chose to let her bat do the talking. 

Her brilliance earned her the Player of the Match award in the final, a fitting recognition for the captain who had carried her team to glory. And as the dust settled on the season, Mandhana stood tall as the Orange Cap winner, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer—a testament to her consistency, dominance, and ability to rise above adversity when it mattered most.

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Fairytales are often imagined as perfect journeys. Smriti Mandhana’s WPL 2026 story was anything but. It had interruptions, noise, and emotional weight. What made it special was not the absence of adversity — but the refusal to let it define her.

From a called-off marriage to championship glory, this was not a story of escape.

It was a story of choice.

The choice to show up.

The choice to lead.

The choice to let cricket speak.

And in the end, cricket spoke loud enough for everyone to listen.

In the end, Smriti Mandhana didn’t just win a title—she rewrote her story. By letting her cricket speak louder than circumstance, she turned personal adversity into professional greatness, proving once again that true champions rise, no matter the moment.