MS Dhoni made sure India's historic Women's World Cup victory reached the entire squad, even though he did not personally know every member of the team. The former India captain recently recalled sending Smriti Mandhana a congratulatory WhatsApp message after India's maiden title win in 2025, asking her to pass on his wishes to everyone involved.

The exchange came to light at an event in Mumbai attended by Dhoni and Mandhana. The India batter revealed that receiving a personal message from the 2011 World Cup-winning captain had made her particularly happy, knowing that he generally stays away from using his phone frequently.

Smriti Mandhana Recalls Dhoni's Personal Message

Mandhana spoke about Dhoni reaching out after India's triumph, describing the gesture as special because of his low-profile approach away from cricket.

"He (Dhoni) 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 at the event.

Presenter Harsha Bhogle then asked whether she had saved Dhoni's number. Mandhana confirmed that she already had his contact.

Dhoni also explained why he had chosen to message Mandhana rather than contact individual members of the squad. Since he did not know the other players personally, he asked the opener to convey his congratulations to the entire team.

"I did not know anyone else from the team. I was like, 'the message to go through'. We had just shot (a commercial) before that. I thought, 'Let me send a message to Smriti' and I mentioned, 'Please wish everyone who is part of the team'," Dhoni said.

Dhoni Explains Why India's Women's World Cup Win Mattered

Dhoni went beyond congratulating the players, highlighting the wider significance of India's first Women's ODI World Cup title. He said the achievement could influence how young girls across the country view cricket and consider it as a professional career.

"It's a big thing. It changes how Indian women's cricket moves forward. Not only that you've brought a big trophy for the country, but also the fact that these girls that day paved the way for future ladies on how they'd look at cricket and cricket as a profession," he added.

The comments reflected the importance of the milestone beyond the result itself. India's triumph gave the women's team its first title in the tournament's history and marked a landmark moment for the sport in the country.

India Beat South Africa To Win Maiden Women's World Cup Title

India's journey to the trophy included a remarkable turnaround after three consecutive defeats in the league stage. The team recovered to reach the knockout rounds and produced a memorable performance against Australia in the semi-final, completing what was then the highest successful run chase in women's ODI history.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side carried that momentum into the final, where India defeated South Africa by 52 runs to lift the trophy.

For Dhoni, who captained India to the men's ODI World Cup title in 2011, the achievement was another significant moment for Indian cricket. His message to Mandhana was a small gesture, but one that carried his congratulations to every member of the history-making team.