Smriti Mandhana, the prodigious Indian batter, has etched her name in the annals of women’s cricket by surpassing Mithali Raj’s record for the most ODI centuries scored by an Indian woman. With her latest century against New Zealand, Mandhana now boasts an impressive tally of eight ODI hundreds, eclipsing Raj’s previous record of seven.
Mandhana’s remarkable achievement is a testament to her exceptional talent and unwavering determination. At just 27 years of age, she is already one of India’s most prolific batters and is well on her way to challenging Meg Lanning’s record of 15 ODI centuries. Having reached her current tally in just 88 matches, Mandhana has ample time to pursue this feat, especially considering her prime form.
Throughout her ODI career, Mandhana has amassed a staggering 3,690 runs with an impressive average of 45.00 and a strike rate of 84.92. In addition to her eight centuries, she has also notched up 27 half-centuries, further solidifying her status as a consistent run-scorer.
Mandhana’s aggressive style of play and unwavering consistency have been instrumental in her success. Her ability to consistently score big runs is evident in her impressive average and strike rate, which rank her among the best in the game.
Reflecting on her record-breaking performance, Mandhana acknowledged the challenges she faced during the recent T20 World Cup in UAE. However, she expressed her determination to move forward and regain the team’s confidence.
“It’s not been easy, the last one and a half months for the team,” Mandhana said. “We had a lot of expectations from all of us individually and as a team in the World Cup. The series came too soon for everyone. Half of everyone’s mind was still on the World Cup. This series win (against NZ) is definitely going to boost confidence, especially this being such a young team, they take things to heart. I’m really happy that we could win the series today and start the journey again.”
Mandhana’s record-breaking achievement is a source of immense pride for Indian cricket and serves as an inspiration to aspiring young batters. Her journey towards challenging Meg Lanning’s record is sure to be an exciting one, and her fans will be eagerly following her progress.
