For centuries, the world has admired Indian women because of their beauty and home activities. But the world has seen a different side of Indian women in the last few decades. They are taking part in sports and making an impact.
To be good in any sport, one needs to work hard for years with dedication and passion. And the top 10 hottest Indian female athletes in 2023 are no less hardworking. Surprisingly, years of hard work could not affect their beauty.
They have represented India in various world competitions and have uplifted the pride of their country. So who are the hottest female Indian athletes in 2023? Let’s check it out.
Top 10 Hottest Indian Female Athletes
| Player name | Sports |
| Sharmila Nicollet | Golf |
| Sania Mirza | Tennis |
| Smriti Mandhana | Cricket |
| Dipika Pallikal | Squash |
| Prachi Tehlan | Netball |
| Tania Sachdev | Chess |
| Saina Nehwal | Badminton |
| Priya Punia | Cricket |
| Ashwini Ponnappa | Badminton |
| Jwala Gutta | Badminton |
1. Sharmila Nicollet
| Full name | Sharmila Nicollet |
| Nickname | Cherie, Nico, Shamz |
| Date of birth | 12 March 1991 |
| Place of birth | Bangalore, India |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in |
| Professional wins | 11 |
| Instagram account | @sharmilanicollet |
Career Highlights
- 2007: Lady golfer of the year (IGULS)
- 2010: Player of the Year (WGAI)
Sharmila Nicollet is a professional golf player born in Bangalore in 1991. Golf is still not very popular in India, so how did Nicollet get interested in the sport? The credit goes to her father, Marc Nicollet, who was French-born. He encouraged Sharmila to play golf.
Nicollet started playing golf at the age of 11. She showed natural talent and improved very quickly. She quickly represented India in different international competitions at an early age. She showed all the potential to be a great golf player.
Nicollet’s professional career began in 2009 when she was only 18. She became the youngest competitor in the Ladies European Tour and the second woman to earn a full card on tour from India.
After turning pro, she quickly came to everyone’s attention. Nicollet was named the WGAI player of the year in 2010. Her success did not stop there. She won the Hero-KGA tournament in 2012.
But those are her achievements in the sport only. If you see her on Instagram, you will think of her as a heroine. She has a great sense of style and fashion. She has over two hundred thousand followers on Instagram. She knows how to charm her fans. She is easily the number one among the top 10 hottest Indian female athletes in 2023.
Career Stats of Sharmila Nicollet
| Stroke Average | Average against Par | Birdies | Career Prize Money | Top Ten Finishes |
| 75.79 | +3.79 | 32 | $41,181.25 | 1 |
2. Sania Mirza
| Full name | Sania Mirza |
| Date of birth | 15 November 1986 |
| Place of birth | Bombay, Maharashtra |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in |
| Prize money | USD 7,215,984 |
| Singles Career record | 271–161 |
| Doubles Career record | 531–242 |
| Instagram account | @mirzasaniar |
Career Highlights
- Won a total of 6 Grand Slam titles in her career
- Became the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam title in 2009
- Won a total of 14 WTA doubles titles in her career
- Received the Arjuna Award (2004), Padma Shri (2006), and Padma Bhushan (2016) from the Indian government
Sania Mirza is the flag bearer of female sports in India. She was born in Bombay in 1986. She is a former professional tennis player. She has been an inspiration for all Indian women and proved that they could, too, achieve their dreams.
Mirza’s father, Imran Mirza, was a sports journalist. Her elder sister was married to the former Indian cricket team’s captain Mohamad Azharuddin’s son. So, she grew up in a sports family and received a love for sports from her family.
Mirza started playing tennis only at the age of six. Do you know when she became a professional player? In 2003, when she was only seventeen. She quickly won ten singles and thirteen doubles titles as a junior player.
Mirza has won many titles and trophies around the world in her tennis career. She found massive success in doubles competitions. She, along with her partner, ranked number one in the doubles ranking. She won a total of six grand slam titles in her career.
Mirza has received many honors from the Indian government. She received the Arjuna Award (2004), Padma Shri (2006), and Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Sania Mirza does not entertain her fans on the playing court only. She is equally entertaining outside the field. Her dub smash videos went viral in the 2015s. She is very active on social media. She has fifteen million followers on Facebook and nearly twelve million on Instagram.
If you did not know who Sania Mirza was and saw her photos on social media, you would mistake her for a Bollywood heroine. She has become a household name and reached a “celebrity” status. She is happily married to former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
3. Smriti Mandhana
| Full name | Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana |
| Date of birth | 18 July 1996 |
| Place of birth | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Batting | Left-handed opening batsman |
| Bowling | Right-arm off break |
| Instagram account | @smriti_mandhana (7.6 million followers) |
Smriti Mandhana is a national crush in India. In fact, she is not only a national crush but an international one. She has admirers from around the world. She is a left-handed opening batsman in the Indian national women’s cricket team.
Mandhana was born in Mumbai in 1996. Both her father and brother played cricket at the district level. She, too, grew an interest in the sport from an early age. She got selected into Maharashtra Under 15 only at the age of nine.
Everyone knew Mandhana was a prodigy and had a bright future. She proved everyone right and was called to the national team in 2013. From the very beginning of her career, she has been a fan favorite. You have to give credit to both her batting style and her fashion style.
Mandhana has long dark hair and a cute, innocent, and lovely smile. Her smile has given heartache to many young men. She has over seven million followers on Instagram. She is a constant face in the media and is continuously featured in various magazines.
Smriti Mandhana has scored so far forty-nine international half-centuries and seven hundred. Her talent and beauty have earned her a position in the top 10 hottest Indian female athletes in 2023.
Career Stats of Smriti Mandhana
| Format | Matches | Runs | 100s | 50s | Highest score |
| Test | 4 | 325 | 2 | 2 | 127 |
| Odi | 77 | 3,073 | 5 | 25 | 135 |
| T20I | 115 | 2,800 | 0 | 22 | 87 |
4. Dipika Pallikal
| Full name | Dipika Pallikal Karthik |
| Date of birth | 21 September 1991 |
| Place of birth | Kottayam, Kerala, India |
| Height | 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in |
| Turned Pro | 2006 |
| Highest ranking | 10th (December 2012) |
| Instagram account | @dipikapallikal |
Career Highlights
- 2015: Won Canada Winnipeg Winter Club Open
- 2013: won China Macau Squash Open
- 2013: won Canada Meadowood Pharmacy Open
- 2011: Hong Kong Crocodile Challenge Cup
- 2011: United States Dread Sports Series
Dipika Pillal is an active squash player. She was born in Kerala in 1991. She is the flag bearer of squash in India. Squash is still not very popular in India. Because of all the success Pallikal has achieved, the sport is becoming more and more popular.
Pallikal became the first Indian woman to reach the quarterfinals of the World Squash Championship. She has also won several international titles. She came into the limelight in 2011 when she won three WISPA titles.
Pallikal is adored and loved by millions of people in India. She has a good height and radiates an Indian charm. No wonder she is followed by half a million followers on Instagram. She is currently married to Indian national team wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik.
5. Prachi Tehlan
| Full name | Prachi Tehlan |
| Date of birth | 2 October 1993 |
| Place of birth | Delhi, India |
| Occupation | Actress, basketball & netball player |
| Netball career | 2008 – 2011 |
| Instagram account | @prachitehlan (1 million followers) |
Career Highlights
- Won a Gold Medal in the 34th 2011 National Games.
The queen of million hearts Prachi Tehlan is our next entrant in the top 10 hottest Indian female athletes. She is a former netball and basketball player. After her retirement from sports, she started acting.
Tehlan was born in Delhi in 1993. Her sports career began in 2004. In the beginning, she started playing basketball. She played at the national level. After playing basketball for several years, she started playing netball. She won a gold medal in the 4th 2011 National Games.
Tehlan has been told that she should be in acting since her childhood. And so, after retiring from sports, she tried her luck in acting. Just like in sports, she did great in acting too. She has acted in different popular tv dramas and has been praised for her acting skill.
Tehlan has received immense love and support from fans since her sports career. When she started acting, her popularity increased even more. She has more than a million followers on Instagram. She is proof that Indian female athletes can build their careers in acting if they aim to.
6. Tania Sachdev
| Full name | Tania Sachdev |
| Date of birth | 20 August 1986 |
| Place of birth | Delhi, India |
| Title | 2008: International Master
2005: Woman Grandmaster |
| Instagram account | @taniasachdev (151K followers) |
If you want to see beauty with a brain, then look at Tania Sachdev. She is a literally beautiful woman and literally a woman with a great brain. She is one of the best female chess players in the world. She has gained the title of grandmaster.
Take a look at her. Does she look like she is thirty? No, right? Actually, she is thirty-six. Yes, that’s true. She was born in Delhi in 1986. Her mother inspired her to play chess when she was only six. She received professional training from K.C. Joshi during her early years.
Sachdev won India’s National Women’s Premier Chess Championship in 2006 and 2007. She became a constant face in the Indian national team in the Women’s Chess Olympiads. Her simplicity and innocent appearance won the hearts of millions of people.
7. Saina Nehwal
| Full name | Saina Nehwal |
| Date of birth | 17 March 1990 |
| Place of birth | Hisar, Haryana, India |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in |
| Coach | Pullela Gopichand |
| Career record | 449 – 219 |
| Highest ranking | 1st (2015) |
| Instagram account | @nehwalsaina |
Career Highlights
- Won a bronze medal in Women’s Singles competition at the London Olympics in 2012
- Won the Women’s Singles title at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
- Won the Indonesia Open Super Series title in 2009
- Won the Australian Open Super Series title in 2014
- Reached the World No. 1 ranking in Women’s Singles in 2015
- Received the Padma Bhushan (2016)
Saina Nehwal is the second most popular female athlete from India. After Sania Mirza, she is the most famous sportswoman in India. She has won seven super crown titles, which adds to her career total of 24 titles.
Nehwal was born in Haryana in 1990. Her mother was a district-level badminton player who inspired her to pursue a career in sports. Nehwal wanted to fulfill her mother’s dream by competing at the national level. She started playing badminton at the age of eight. As she showed great potential, her father invested provident fund’s money for her proper training.
Nehwal went on to become not only an international player but also claimed the number-one spot in the world’s ranking in 2015. She worked hard for years to make her parent’s dream a reality. But all that hard work could not affect her beauty. She is still very pretty and has 1.5 million followers on Instagram.
8. Priya Punia
| Full name | Priya Punia |
| Date of birth | 6 August 1996 |
| Place of birth | Jaipur, Rajasthan, India |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| ODI debut | 2019 vs South Africa |
| Instagram account | @priyapunia16 |
Priya Punia holds a top place as the cutest female Indian athlete. She has a natural charm in her that enchants people. She is a right-hand batsman in the Indian national women’s team. She was born in Rajasthan in 1996.
Punia debuted in international cricket against South Africa in 2019. She comes from a middle-class family in a small town. She had to work really hard to make everyone notice her and get into the national team. Once getting into the national team, she became a national heartthrob among young men.
Her beautiful smile and innocent aura took the country by storm. She has many thousands of followers on Instagram.
Career Stats of Priya Punia
| Format | Matches | Runs | 100s | 50s | Highest score |
| Test | – | – | – | – | – |
| Odi | 7 | 225 | 0 | 2 | 75* |
| T20I | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
9. Ashwini Ponnappa
| Full name | Ashwini Ponnappa Machimanda |
| Date of birth | 18 September 1989 |
| Place of birth | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Hand | Right |
| Instagram account | @p9ashwini (144K followers) |
Career Highlights
- Won a gold medal in Women’s Doubles at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games
- Won a bronze medal in Women’s Doubles at the 2011 BWF World Championships
- Won a total of 8 BWF (Badminton World Federation) doubles titles
Ashwini Ponnappa is another Indian badminton player who is continuing the legacy of Saina Nehwal. She was born in Bangalore in 1989. She is an eight-time BWF doubles champion. She won a gold medal in Women’s Doubles at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Ponnappa showed great potential from a young age. She won her first national title in 2004. That was just the beginning. Since then, she has won many titles and medals. She won a bronze medal in doubles, even at the 2011 London World Championships.
Ponnappa is both beautiful and talented. She has 144K followers on social media. She takes the ninth spot in our top 10 hottest Indian female athletes in 2023.
10. Jwala Gutta
| Full name | Jwala Gutta |
| Date of birth | 7 September 1983 |
| Place of birth | Wardha, Maharashtra, India |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Years active | 1999–2017 |
| Handedness | Left |
| Highest ranking | 6th (2010) |
| Instagram account | @jwalagutta1 |
Career Highlights
- Won a gold medal in Women’s Doubles at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games
- Won a bronze medal in Women’s Doubles at the 2011 BWF World Championships
- Won a total of 14 BWF (Badminton World Federation) doubles titles
Another badminton player is on the list. You cannot complete the list without Gutta’s presence. Age is just a number for the forty years old Jwala Gutta. At this stage in her life, she looks prettier than ever. She is a former badminton player with 316 wins, the most by any Indian female badminton player.
Gutta was born in Wardha, Maharashtra, in 1983. Gutta first tried her hand at tennis but did find much success there. Then her mother insisted she not give up and motivated her to try badminton. And the rest is history. She has won the BWF title 14 times.
Gutta turned pro in 1999 and remained active till 2017. She has won many golds for India, especially in the South Asian Games. After her retirement from the sport, she has been involved in many activities, such as anti-tobacco and anti-zoo campaigns.
With all the talent and beauty, Gutta also possesses a beautiful heart, which makes her special.
Conclusion
That was our list of the top 10 hottest Indian female athletes in 2023. These women are not just pretty faces, but they are embodiments of women’s empowerment. They have proved that even women can bring pride and joy to the country. They have represented India in international events and have made the nation proud.
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