We are all aware of the power of social media. While stars enjoy their massive fan following there, it is capable of making anyone a star within a second. meanwhile, during the lockdown of global pandemic novel COVID-19, many celebrities – like sportspersons, actors and others took the opportunity to interact with their fans and one of them was Indian opener Smriti Mandhana.
The swashbuckling opener, who used to belong from the not-so-active on the social media zone – has proved everyone wrong and become one of the top Indian personalities on social media in the last few months. She came up with the show ‘Double Trouble’ with another talented youngster Jemimah Rodrigue and their management company – Baseline Venture, where they used to interact with other sportspersons. While the fans got to see her in a different avatar, the show became an instant hit among fans.
Smriti Mandhana, who became an internet sensation after her stunning show in the 2017 ICC Cricket World Cup, despite making her debut in 2013 – is now one of the most followed cricketers in world cricket. However, she also enjoyed a massive fan following as her social media grew by leaps and bounds since the COVID-19 and its imposed lockdown hit the world hard.
“It was an amazing experience for me” – Smriti Mandhana on ‘Double Trouble’
While speaking to timesnownews.com, Mandhana – who has gained more than 1 million followers on Instagram since the lockdown, opened up about this.
“Yes, the love and support I have received on social media is truly overwhelming. I think the more you interact on social media, fans love that. And during the lockdown period, we had that time and space to use the platform to express ourselves out there. I also feel I have been slightly more active on social media lately than anytime before. Partly it was also because of the excitement to be finally back playing after this long gap and also getting together with my colleagues,” she said.
While talking about her experience about featuring in the ‘Double Trouble’, Mandhana shared, “It was an amazing experience for me. Normally we are the ones who get interviewed, but this time we were on the other side asking questions. So It was something very new to me. Have to say, Initially, I was a bit nervous but all thanks to my co-host Jemi and Baseline team for making me comfortable. And above all our guests were very supportive and it was great listening to their stories.”
Meanwhile, Yashwanth Biyyala, the Director of Athlete Management at Baseline Ventures revealed how she became one of the top-followed sportspersons on social media.
“Smriti has become one of the most engaging celebrities in the last few months. Her following has grown by 1.3 million followers to be precise. Engagement is much more relevant these days when we talk about social media. She is nearly engaging 40-45% of her fan base. She has 3.4 million followers on her Instagram and she is reaching out to nearly 6 million people in a week’s time on Instagram. So the engagement rates are pretty high for her,” he said.
However, not only off the field but on the field too she is enjoying a fair share of success. She recently led Trailblazers to their maiden title in the Women’s T20 Challenge in Dubai. Notably, the tournament took place during the playoffs of the 2020 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).
