By smrati khare in 2 hours
Smriti Mandhana made history in Rajkot by scoring the fastest ODI century by an Indian woman during the third and final ODI against Ireland. The stand-in skipper reached the milestone in just 70 balls, breaking the previous record set by Harmanpreet Kaur.
Mandhana came into the third ODI determined to make her mark after missing out on a century in the second game. She wasted no time, attacking the Ireland bowlers from the outset. Her 70-ball hundred surpassed Harmanpreet’s 87-ball century against South Africa, setting a new benchmark in Indian women’s cricket.
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Mandhana’s blistering innings included 12 fours and seven sixes, keeping the Rajkot crowd on their feet. She was eventually dismissed for a stunning 135 off just 80 balls, but by then, the damage had been done.
This latest century was Mandhana’s 10th in ODI cricket, making her the first Indian woman to achieve this feat. She joins an elite club of players with 10 or more ODI hundreds, including Meg Lanning (15), Suzie Bates (13), and Tammy Beaumont (10).
Mandhana’s achievement solidifies her position as one of the best batters in women’s cricket today. Her aggressive style and consistency make her a key player in India’s lineup.
During her knock, Mandhana also became the second Indian woman after Mithali Raj to hit 500 fours in ODI cricket. She now has 504 boundaries to her name, placing her in an exclusive list of players who have crossed the 500-four mark in women’s cricket.
Player | Matches | Innings | Fours |
Mithali Raj | 232 | 211 | 805+ |
Charlotte Edwards | 191 | 180 | 686+ |
Suzie Bates | 168 | 162 | 673 |
Meg Lanning | 103 | 102 | 572 |
Stafanie Taylor | 160 | 154 | 546 |
Karen Rolton | 141 | 132 | 529+ |
Amy Satterthwaite | 145 | 138 | 514 |
Tammy Beaumont | 126 | 116 | 508 |
Smriti Mandhana | 97* | 97 | 504 |
Mandhana’s seven sixes during the innings also equaled the record for most sixes by an Indian woman in an ODI. Harmanpreet Kaur previously set this record during her iconic 171* against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semifinal.
Mandhana’s explosive knock was complemented by a strong partnership with Pratika Rawal. The duo put on a massive 233-run opening stand, the third-highest by an Indian pair in Women’s ODIs. Interestingly, all three of India’s highest partnerships in Women’s ODIs have come against Ireland.
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