Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to their second consecutive Women’s Premier League (WPL) title earlier this week, but it wasn’t just her match-winning knock that grabbed attention.
A cheeky social media moment involving her mother has now set the internet buzzing.
RCB Women defeated Delhi Capitals Women by six wickets in the 2026 WPL final on Friday, with Mandhana producing a stunning 87 off 41 balls to clinch the Player of the Match award. The win was especially remarkable as it emerged later that the India opener had been battling a 103-degree fever the night before the final.
‘Savage aunty’ moment goes viral
A day after the final, a popular meme page shared a post joking that Mandhana was hitting Delhi Capitals bowlers as if she were seeing the face of her former fiancé, singer Palash Muchhal, in them. In an unexpected twist, Smriti’s mother, Smita Mandhana, reposted the meme on her Instagram account.
The repost was quickly spotted by social media users and screenshots began circulating widely. Reactions poured in, with users dubbing Smita Mandhana a “savage aunty.”
“Smriti’s mother reposted the post cooking Palash,” wrote one user, while another commented, “I am in awe of savage aunty. She cooked with this.” Several others expressed disbelief, wondering if the repost was intentional.
By Saturday morning, after the screenshots had gone viral, the repost was quietly taken down. However, the internet had already had its moment.
Personal turmoil meets professional glory
Mandhana’s WPL success comes just months after personal upheaval. She was set to marry Palash Muchhal last year in her hometown of Sangli, with pre-wedding festivities already underway. However, the wedding was abruptly called off just hours before the ceremony.
While neither Mandhana nor Muchhal publicly addressed the reason behind the split, reports at the time claimed that Smriti’s teammates had allegedly discovered Palash cheating. The matter was never officially confirmed.
Palash Muchhal, a well-known singer and composer in the Hindi music industry, recently announced his directorial debut with an upcoming project starring Shreyas Talpade.
For now, though, the spotlight firmly belongs to Smriti Mandhana—both for her heroic performance on the field and for an internet moment sparked by her mother that fans won’t forget anytime soon.