Smriti Mandhana among Top 10 female athletes for sponsorship value on social media

The list also features some of the biggest names in the world of women’s sports like the all-time tennis great Serena Williams, freestyle skier Eileen Gu, American Motorsport racing driver Hailie Deega.

Mumbai: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Smriti Mandhana plays a shot during the 2023 Women’s Premier League. | Photo Credit: KUNAL PATIL/PTI

Indian women’s cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana has been ranked among the top 10 female athletes in the world by sponsorship value on social media, according to a recent study released by Sportico and KORE.

KORE measured more than 19 million posts across various social media to create a detailed study, which put Mandhana 9th among all female athletes in the world for popularity. She is the only cricketer and the only Indian in the list.

Social media performance across her digital platforms saw more than 61 million engagements in 2022, with a combined following of more than 14.8 million.

The list also features some of the biggest names in the world of women’s sports like the all-time tennis great Serena Williams, freestyle skier Eileen Gu, American Motorsport racing driver Hailie Deega.

The detailed study determined that with over 7.7 million followers on Instagram alone, Smriti has become a sought-after brand ambassador for several leading companies.

Mandhana has been a prominent figure for the Indian side for several years and has represented the country in several international tournaments.

Recently the left-handed batter was sold to RCB for USD 413K, the highest bid for any player in the first edition of the Women’s Premier League.