Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana says no to KBC special episode; here's why

A special KBC episode celebrating India's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup victory was being shot this week, but the team's vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, was unexpectedly missing from the show

A celebratory Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) special honouring India’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph was shot this week with much fanfare — but fans quickly noticed one glaring absence. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, one of the team’s biggest icons, did not appear on the show, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. Her absence has sparked buzz across social media, coming amid ongoing speculation around the postponement of her wedding with music composer Palash Muchhal. 

 

Mandhana was supposed to accompany her teammates for the Wednesday, November 26, evening shoot, but withdrew at the last moment, citing personal reasons, according to a Times of India report. Despite Mandhana's absence, the star-studded bunch from the winning World Cup side appeared in the KBC shoot.

Indian women’s cricket team on KBC

Mandhana would have made her third appearance on the hugely popular reality show, which is hosted by the renowned Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.

 

Participating in the episode were Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, batter Harleen Deol, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, opener Shafali Verma, Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma, all-rounder Sneh Rana, and head coach Amol Muzumdar. Excitement for the special show honouring one of India's most notable accomplishments in women's cricket has already been building thanks to clips of the players arriving on set. 

Why did Smriti Mandhana not appear in KBC shoot?

Smriti Mandhana's absence follows the abrupt termination of her wedding celebrations in Sangli, where rituals like the sangeet, mehendi, and haldi had already been performed. When her father, Srinivas Mandhana, experienced an 'unexpected' medical emergency and had to be taken to the hospital, the festivities abruptly ended. Smriti quickly removed all of her pre-wedding pictures from social media, but her earlier posts with Palaash are still there.

 

In the meantime, Palaash Muchhal's mother, Amita Muchhal, told Hindustan Times that after learning about Smriti's father's health scare, Palaash insisted on delaying the wedding. 

 

According to reports, Palaash, who was very devoted to him, broke down and refused to carry out the ceremonies. His sister, singer Palak Muchhal, visited him in the hospital where he was admitted for a brief period of medical observation due to the strain that left him emotionally overwhelmed. 

When and where to watch the KBC Indian women’s cricketers episode?

The Indian women's cricket team featured in a 'special' episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), which is scheduled to air on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV at 9 pm. The episode was shot this week (around November 26, 2025), although the precise air date is still unknown.