RAJKOT: Indian batter and stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana made history on Wednesday, smashing the fastest ODI century by an Indian women’s batter and becoming the first-ever Asian to smash 10 ODI centuries.
Mandhana reached these milestones during the third and final ODI against Ireland at Rajkot. She scored an explosive 135 runs in 80 deliveries with 12 fours and seven sixes. Her runs came at a strike rate of 168.75.
Her century in 70 balls is the fastest by an Indian women’s batter in ODIs, outdoing her regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 87-ball century against South Africa at Bengaluru last year. In men’s cricket, the fastest ODI ton by an Indian is in the hands of star batter Virat Kohli, who reached there in just 52 balls against Australia in 2013.
Also, this is Smriti’s 10th ton, making her first-ever Asian batter to reach this mark, with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu (nine centuries) behind her. Ahead of Mandhana are Australia’s Meg Lanning (15 centuries), New Zealand’s Suzie Bates (13 centuries) and England’s Tammy Beaumont (10 centuries).
7 sixes hit by Smriti Mandhana today is the joint-most by an India Women batter in an ODI innings, alongside Harmanpreet Kaur, who had hit as many during her 171* off 115 against Australia Women in the 2017 World Cup semi-final. Mandhana has also equalled Harmanpreet for most sixes for India in the format (52).
Since 2024, Mandhana has smashed 996 runs in 16 ODIs at an average of 62.25, with a strike rate of above 105.06, with four centuries and five fifties. His best score is 136. No other batter has aggregated 700 runs in this timeframe in the format.
Overall in ODIs, Smriti has made 4,209 runs in 97 matches and 97 innings at an average of 46.25, with 10 centuries and 30 fifties. Her best score is 136.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and opted to bat first. A partnership of 233 runs between Mandhana (135 in 80 balls, with 12 fours and seven sixes) and Pratika Rawal (154 in 129 balls, with 20 fours and a six), a half-century from wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh (59 in 42 balls, with eight fours and a six) were the key as India reached 435/5 in their 50 overs.
This is India’s highest score across both men’s and women’s ODIs, outdoing men’s total of 418/5 against West Indies in 2011 in which Virender Sehwag hit 219 runs and total of 370/5 by India women in the second ODI of this ongoing series against Ireland, where they made 370/5 thanks to a century from Jemimah Rodrigues and fifties from Mandhana, Rawal and Harleen Deol. (ANI)