Indian women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana was notably absent from the upcoming episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show, which celebrates the national team’s historic Women’s World Cup victory last month.
The show’s makers released a promotional video on Wednesday featuring several members of the World Cup–winning squad. While fans welcomed the celebratory episode, many were quick to notice that Mandhana did not appear in the promo, drawing attention amid recent developments in her personal life.
Episode Features World Cup-Winning Team
Hosted by Kapil Sharma, the episode includes Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur and players Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Harleen Deol, Radha Yadav, and Pratika Rawal, along with head coach Amol Mazumdar.
In the promo, Kapil is seen playfully asking Harmanpreet about her celebratory bhangra moves while lifting the World Cup trophy. Jemimah Rodrigues reveals that Mandhana had encouraged her to dance during the celebrations, highlighting Mandhana’s presence in spirit despite her absence from the show.
The episode is scheduled to stream on December 27.
Fans React to Mandhana’s Absence
Social media users quickly flooded the comment sections with reactions, expressing that Mandhana was missed on the show. Many fans highlighted the team’s camaraderie and appreciated how her teammates continued to mention her during conversations.
Several comments reflected admiration for the unity within the squad, with fans praising the players for consistently acknowledging Mandhana’s contribution to the team.
Recent Personal Update
Earlier this month, Smriti Mandhana confirmed through Instagram Stories that her wedding with music composer Palash Muchhal had been called off. She requested privacy for both families and urged people to refrain from speculation.
Palash Muchhal also issued a statement at the time, confirming the decision and stating that he was stepping back from the relationship. The couple had been scheduled to marry in Sangli on November 24.
Mandhana emphasised that she prefers to keep her personal life private and asked for understanding and space as both families move forward.
