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'I was very happy': Mandhana reveals Dhoni's special message after World Cup win

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Smriti Mandhana revealed at an event hosted by Harsha Bhogle that MS Dhoni sent her a congratulatory WhatsApp message after the tournament win. Dhoni reached out to Mandhana because she was the only squad member whose contact number he had, following a recent commercial shoot together. The Indian women's team captured their maiden ODI World Cup title by defeating South Africa by 52 runs on November 2, 2025. India had set a target of 298 for 7 before bowling out their opponents for 246 to seal the victory.

Key points

  • MS Dhoni sent a rare WhatsApp message to congratulate the Indian women's cricket team on…: MS Dhoni sent a rare WhatsApp message to congratulate the Indian women's cricket team on their historic championship.
  • Smriti Mandhana was the only player contacted directly because Dhoni held her number from…: Smriti Mandhana was the only player contacted directly because Dhoni held her number from a recent commercial shoot.
  • Dhoni specifically instructed Mandhana to relay his personal congratulations to the rest…: Dhoni specifically instructed Mandhana to relay his personal congratulations to the rest of the World Cup-winning squad.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Smriti Mandhana has revealed that former India captain

MS Dhoni personally congratulated her after the Indian women's team lifted their maiden ODI World Cup title in November 2025.

Speaking at an event featuring

Dhoni, Mandhana recalled receiving a WhatsApp message from the legendary cricketer following India's historic triumph. She admitted that the gesture made her particularly happy, knowing that Dhoni is not someone who uses his phone frequently.

“He actually did send me a message after the World Cup win. I know he does not use his phone a lot. I was very happy that he used WhatsApp to congratulate all of us," Mandhana said.

Host Harsha Bhogle then asked Mandhana whether she had saved Dhoni's number.

“I did have his number," she replied.

Dhoni, meanwhile, offered an interesting explanation for choosing Mandhana as the recipient of his message. He revealed that she was the only member of the Indian women's team whose contact number he had saved.

“I did not know anyone else’s (number) from the team. I wanted the message to go through. We had just shot (a…

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