A day after announcing wedding cancellation, Smriti Mandhana hits the nets to prepare for Sri Lanka series
India batting star Smriti Mandhana returns to the training ground following the announcement of her wedding cancellation with Palash Muchhal.
Smriti Mandhana put her wedding woes behind her and showed up at the nets to prepare for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka. Smriti, on Sunday, confirmed the cancellation of her wedding with composer Palash Muchhal with a post on social media and the day after the big announcement, returned to the training ground.
Smriti's brother, Shravan Mandhana, shared a photo on Instagram, which showed her batting in a training jersey at what seemed like a private facility.
Mandhana back to business
Smriti, who played a key role in India's Women's World Cup 2025 triumph, will return to take the field in a five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at home from December 21 to 30. The matches will be held at Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram and will mark the beginning of India's preparation for next year's T20 World Cup.
After the Sri Lanka series, Smriti will also lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the upcoming Women's Premier League, starting January 9 in Navi Mumbai.
On December 7, Smriti wrote on social media: "I need to clarify that the wedding is called off."
Requesting privacy for both families, Smriti emphasised her commitment to cricket, stating that playing for India remains her top priority.
A few hours later, Palash Muchhal also addressed the issue publicly and wrote that he had decided to "move on" from the relationship and defended himself against "baseless rumours" circulating on the internet. He even issued a warning of taking legal action against the spreaders of false news.
The wedding, scheduled for November 23 in Sangli, Maharashtra, was postponed after Mandhana’s father was hospitalised on the morning of the auspicious day due to a cardiac issue. Later, reports emerged that Palash Muchhal, too, had been hospitalised due to stress-related issues.
Soon afterwards, unverified reports suggested that Palash Muchhal might have been unfaithful, with some posts claiming a "third person" was involved.
Both Smriti and Palash have unfollowed each other online and removed nearly all shared content following the announcement of the wedding cancellation.