A special Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) episode was filmed this week to celebrate India’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 win, but the biggest surprise was the absence of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. While the rest of the members of India’s World Cup-winning team lit up the KBC sets with their presence, Smriti Mandhana’s absence created a storm of speculation.
Smriti, one of India’s biggest cricket icons, was originally scheduled to attend the Wednesday (November 26) evening shoot, which would have been her third time on the show hosted by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan.
Smriti Mandhana did not shoot for KBC amid marriage controversy
But just hours before the recording, the stylish batsman informed the KBC team that she would not be attending, citing personal matters amid the controversy surrounding her marriage with music composer Palash Muchhal.
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A few days before the KBC episode, Smriti Mandhana’s wedding celebrations in Sangli were postponed. The haldi, mehendi and sangeet ceremonies had already taken place and everything seemed ready for the big day on 23rd November.
But the celebrations suddenly turned sour when the Indian cricketer’s father Srinivas Mandhana suddenly faced a medical emergency. She had to be taken to the hospital and soon after, Smriti deleted all her pre-wedding pictures from social media, keeping only her old posts with her fiancé Palash Muchhal.
Smriti Mandhana postponed marriage, market of rumors is hot!
The move left fans confused and worried, adding to the drama surrounding the postponed wedding. Rumors claimed that Palash cheated on Smriti and that is why their wedding got postponed indefinitely.
Later, Smriti Mandhana’s business manager Tuhin Mishra confirmed that it was the cricketer who canceled all the wedding events. She felt that nothing was more important than her father’s health and she wanted to focus completely on his recovery before thinking about anything else.
The Times of India quoted Tuhin Mishra as saying, “Smriti is very close to her father. She decided that until her father recovers, the wedding… is postponed indefinitely.”
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Emotional shock sent Palash Muchhal to hospital
On the other hand, Palash was equally scared. After hearing about Smriti’s father’s condition, the musician decided to postpone the wedding for a moment. He is very close to Smriti’s father and this emotional shock reportedly became too much for him.
The stress affected him so deeply that he had to be admitted for medical observation for a short period. Palash’s sister, singer Palak Muchhal, visited him in the hospital, and his mother later confirmed that he is currently resting and recovering at home in Mumbai.
Palak Muchhal also confirmed the postponement of the wedding and requested the families to understand the situation and respect their privacy.
Smriti Mandhana stayed away, but teammates brought energy to KBC special
Amidst the medical emergency, emotional stress and constant public attention on her postponed wedding, Smriti decided to stay away from the KBC shoot. Still, the KBC episode remained a great moment.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana and head coach Amol Muzumdar all attended the shoot.
Videos of the players arriving on the sets and interacting backstage have already gone viral, increasing the excitement for the upcoming episode dedicated to India’s Women’s World Cup glory.