'I don't cry for my real life' - Smriti Mandhana reveals her emotional resilience

Smriti Mandhana appeared as a guest on Raj Shamani's podcast, Figuring Out with Raj Shamani, where she discussed her mindset, discipline and approach to life away from cricket. During the conversation, the India batter opened up about her emotional nature and how she processes difficult moments both on and off the field.

Mandhana's philosophy centres on moving forward rather than dwelling on setbacks. She emphasised that people with the determination to create change do not remain stuck in past mistakes. She noted that continuously crying over errors prevents personal improvement and growth.

"I don't relate myself to crying or sadness. I don't know why, it's very weird, but there would be people around me crying about something, and I would have an extremely practical approach to that," Mandhana said in the above mentioned source.

Her practical approach to emotions

Mandhana elaborated on her philosophy of not dwelling on setbacks for extended periods. She explained that people who possess the determination to create meaningful change will not remain stuck in past mistakes.

"People who have the fight to make that change, then they won't dwell on the past mistakes. If you keep crying and sitting on those mistakes, I feel as what are you getting out of it? You're not improving yourself, you're not getting better," said Mandhana.

When and where she allows herself to cry?

When asked about the hardest night of her life, Mandhana reflected on her cricket career. She replied that it was probably related to some World Cup, indicating that major tournament disappointments have affected her deeply. The COVID-19 period was another particularly difficult phase of her life that tested her resilience.

"Maybe (in) bathrooms sometimes... bathrooms and showers sometimes, and maybe in front of one or two people," Mandhana said.

"I cry for movies. I don't cry for my real life. If I watch a movie, I cry. I was watching 'Musafir Cafe' and it got me happy-emotional and I cried. That's the last time I cried. In a bathroom sometimes, while taking a shower. Some matches hurt you. Dubai (T20 World Cup 2024) really hurt me. This World Cup (T20 World Cup 2026) we couldn't make the semis, that hurt me. I didn't necessarily cry, but it hurt me," she concluded.