Smriti Mandhana’s mom joins roast as meme jokes she was “seeing Palash’s face” in bowlers

Some victories are loud because of the runs scored. Others echo because of everything that led up to them.

When Smriti Mandhana walked off the field after steering Royal Challengers Bangalore to a second straight Women’s Premier League crown, the applause wasn’t just for the cricketing brilliance. It was for resilience, and, as the internet soon discovered, a pinch of perfectly-timed pettiness.

Fresh off RCB’s emphatic six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals, social media did what it does best: connect dots, stir drama, and serve memes piping hot. This time, the jokes came with an unexpected co-sign, from Smriti’s mother herself.

The win that sparked it all

RCB’s title defence was sealed by Mandhana’s imperious 87 off just 41 balls, a knock that dismantled Delhi’s bowling attack with clinical ease.

The innings was later revealed to have come under extraordinary circumstances; the Indian opener had battled a 103-degree fever the night before the final.

Still, she walked in calm, batted with intent, and walked out with the Player of the Match medal, and another WPL trophy for RCB. It was a performance that screamed champion, months after a very public personal setback.

Also read: Don't think I love anything more than cricket: Smriti Mandhana in first public appearance since wedding call-off

When memes met family approval

Soon after the final, a meme page cheekily suggested that Mandhana’s ferocious hitting looked as if she was “seeing her ex’s face” in every Delhi bowler. Internet humour, predictable until the meme was reposted by Smriti’s mother, Smita Mandhana, from her own Instagram account.

Screenshots spread like wildfire. Social media users oscillated between disbelief and admiration, dubbing her everything from “savage aunty” to the unexpected MVP of the meme war. Some wondered if the repost was accidental. Others were convinced it was deliberate, and legendary.

By Saturday morning, after the repost went fully viral, it quietly disappeared from her account. But by then, the moment had already cemented itself in WPL folklore.

The backstory the internet never forgot

Mandhana’s personal life has been under a microscope since her sudden wedding cancellation last year with singer-composer Palash Muchhal. Pre-wedding celebrations had begun in Sangli before the ceremony was abruptly called off just hours before the vows.

Speculation followed, with reports claiming the split was triggered after Smriti’s teammates allegedly caught Palash cheating. Neither Mandhana nor Muchhal ever publicly addressed the reasons. Since then, Palash has announced a career shift, turning director with a new project starring Shreyas Talpade.

A champion’s week, on and off the field

For Mandhana, the week summed up her journey: a fever-defying final, a second consecutive WPL title, and the internet’s collective nod to how far she has come. The bat spoke first. The memes followed. And somewhere in between, a mother’s repost added the final flourish.

In sport, comebacks are measured in runs and trophies. Online, sometimes, they’re sealed with a single tap on “repost.”