Cricketer Smriti Mandhana signed by Herbalife Nutrition India as sponsored sports athlete

Mandhana, the company said, has had an incredible journey, taking the cricket world by storm with her batting performances. Currently, she is the vice captain of the Indian women’s national cricket team.

Mandhana’s performance on the field made her the first Indian women cricketer to be recognized as the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2018. The same year saw her winning the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award, a feat she repeated in 2021. Early on in her cricket career, she won BCCI’s MA Chidambaram Trophy for best woman cricketer for the year 2013-14. She was also the only Indian player to be named in the ICC Women’s Team of the Year 2016. She was also honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2019.

Ajay Khanna, senior vice president and MD of Herbalife Nutrition India said, “We are excited about our association with Smriti Mandhana, and our shared belief in the importance of good nutrition and an active lifestyle makes her the perfect partner for our brand. As we have done with many other athletes, we look forward to working with her to support her sporting ambitions and furthering our mission of helping everyone live their best lives.”

Mandhana said, “I am honoured to partner with them. I am excited to join the family of athletes associated with a brand committed to helping sports people of all levels reach their best potential through good nutrition. I believe that nutrition is integral to good health and performing well in any sport, and I am looking forward to encouraging everyone to live a healthy life.”

She is the fifth Indian athlete and the second cricketer to join the company including Virat Kohli, Mary Kom, Lakshya Sen, and Manika Batra. The size of the Indian sports industry was estimated to have surpassed ₹9,500 crore in 2021, according to one report. GroupM ESP, the entertainment, esports and sports division of GroupM India said this in its report, ‘Sporting Nation in The Making’ which takes into consideration the sponsorship spends, player endorsements and media spends on sports properties.