What happens when women cricketers get their period during a Test match? Smriti Mandhana explains (original) (raw)
SPORTS
India star Smriti Mandhana opened up about getting her period during a Test match and explained how women cricketers manage such situations on the field. Her candid account offered insight into a rarely discussed aspect of women's cricket and the challenges players face during long-format games.
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Smriti Mandhana (Courtesy: X)
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When an international cricketer steps onto the pitch for a Test match, there are some things she just can't control. The weather. The pitch. How well the umpire sees things. And — let’s be real — her menstrual cycle. India’s vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, chose to talk about that last one. And honestly, it was overdue.
Mandhana posted a candid Instagram video where she shared what it was really like to get her period in the middle of a Test match. No script, just honesty. You don’t get that kind of openness from athletes very often. She talked about dealing with her cycle during the game and the mindset she leaned on to keep going.
“I play for India, and that's exactly the mindset that keeps me going,” she said. “When you put on the jersey, you have to do justice to the role that has been given to you. Sometimes, your own period pain doesn’t come in between.”
That’s powerful. But it leaves you wondering: what about when the pain actually does get in the way? What if pushing through just isn’t possible, and a player needs to act?
She recalled one such moment: “I remember telling the umpire that this is the most random request I have made — running to wear a pad. The umpire didn’t have a choice because I was also wearing white, and she understood.”
Her story opened up some tough questions cricket’s never really answered: What can players do in this situation? Are they allowed to leave the field? What happens if a batter gets cramps during an innings? To figure this out, you have to turn to the rulebook.
What the cricket rules actually say
The rules — set by the MCC and applied worldwide through the ICC — tackle fielders leaving the pitch under Law 24. The language is specific, sometimes a little strange, and, as Mandhana discovered, totally silent on periods. Here's what's actually in there:
Umpires can approve a substitute fielder if they agree a player’s been injured, gotten sick, or has another solid reason to leave.
The substitute can field, but that's about it. No bowling, wicket-keeping, or captaining. Once the original player comes back, she resumes her full role.
If a player steps off the pitch for more than eight minutes, a penalty applies — for bowlers, that means they can't bowl for the same amount of time they were gone. So thirty minutes off equals thirty minutes on the bench for bowling.
If a batter leaves the crease “voluntarily,” she’s considered “retired out,” and can only return with opposing captain’s permission. Whether menstrual pain counts as “illness” under the laws just isn’t clear.
The only full player replacement cricket allows right now is for concussions — a rule brought in only in 2019. Menstrual health? Not even mentioned.
So for batters like Mandhana, the bowling penalty doesn’t mean much. But for all-rounders such as Deepti Sharma or Nat Sciver-Brunt, period-related absences can cost their teams overs at crucial moments. Male cricketers literally don’t have to think about this.
The bigger picture
Mandhana speaking out is part of a larger shift in how professional sports handle female physiology. It hits home in India, where almost 75% of young girls drop out of sport, just because of periods or discomfort, poor access to hygiene products, and social stigma.
Having someone like Mandhana talk about this isn’t just about the rules — it’s about normalizing the topic. It sends a message to the 12-year-old playing her first school match: this happens, you can deal with it, and the sport needs to accommodate it, even if the solutions aren’t perfect yet.
The rules do let players leave the field. Umpires can use their judgment. But these laws weren’t written with periods in mind, and you can see the gaps. There’s no clear rule for a batter in the middle of an innings. There’s no guidance on whether bowling penalties should be handled differently for medical needs.
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