Smriti Mandhana Puts Wedding on Hold for Father's Recovery
Indian women's cricket star Smriti Mandhana has made the difficult decision to postpone her wedding with music composer Palash Muchhal following a sudden health scare involving her father. The ceremony, which was scheduled to take place recently, has been put on indefinite hold as the family prioritizes Shriniwas Mandhana's recovery.
Mandhana's manager Tuhin Mishra confirmed the development to media representatives, stating that the cricketer is very clear about wanting her father to recover completely before resuming wedding plans. There is currently no information about when the ceremony might be rescheduled, with the postponement being described as indefinite.
Not an Isolated Case: Cricket's Personal Sacrifices
Smriti Mandhana's situation highlights a recurring theme in Indian cricket where players frequently must delay personal milestones due to professional commitments or unexpected circumstances. The left-handed batter is far from alone in having to make such difficult choices.
Rajat Patidar, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batter, had originally planned his wedding for May 9 during the IPL 2022 season window. However, when RCB called him up as a replacement player after he went unsold in the mega-auction, he chose to delay his marriage to Gunjan. His father revealed that wedding preparations were already underway with hotel bookings confirmed in Indore before the cricket opportunity arose.
Similarly, Rinku Singh postponed his wedding with Member of Parliament Priya Saroj that was scheduled for November 19 in Varanasi. The delay came due to the cricketer's professional commitments, despite the couple having celebrated their engagement in a grand ceremony in Lucknow on June 8 earlier this year.
Kuldeep Yadav's Repeated Wedding Delays
India's star spinner Kuldeep Yadav represents another prominent example of wedding plans being affected by cricket schedules. The cricketer got engaged to his childhood friend Vanshika in June 2025, with initial plans to marry later that same month.
However, scheduling conflicts forced the first postponement. The couple then planned to tie the knot in the last week of November 2025, but with Kuldeep occupied with India's Test series against South Africa, they had to delay their plans once again. The engagement briefly resurfaced in public discussions when Kuldeep posted and then deleted a photograph with Vanshika.
These instances demonstrate the significant personal sacrifices Indian cricketers regularly make while balancing their professional careers with personal lives. The demanding nature of international cricket, IPL commitments, and national team duties often means that personal milestones like weddings must take a backseat to athletic responsibilities.
The pattern shows that whether due to unexpected health emergencies like in Mandhana's case or predetermined cricket schedules as with Patidar, Singh, and Yadav, personal celebrations frequently become secondary to professional obligations for India's cricket stars.
