Smriti Mandhana Sets Record with Fastest ODI Century by an Indian Woman in Rajkot
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Synopsis
In a historic match on January 15, Smriti Mandhana scored the fastest ODI century by an Indian woman, achieving the milestone in just 70 balls against Ireland in Rajkot, surpassing Harmanpreet Kaur's record and marking her tenth ODI century.
Key Takeaways
- Fastest ODI century by an Indian woman at 70 balls.
- Surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur's previous record.
- First Indian woman to achieve 10 ODI centuries.
- Set a record opening partnership of 233 runs.
- Recognized as a nominee for ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.
New Delhi, Jan 15 (NationPress) India’s captain Smriti Mandhana achieved a remarkable feat by scoring the fastest ODI century by an Indian female cricketer, reaching her hundred off just 70 balls during the third and final match of the series against Ireland at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday.
Opting to bat first in a match that had no bearing on the series outcome, with India already leading 2-0, Smriti delivered another spectacular performance, dominating the Irish bowlers and recording her tenth ODI century in merely 70 deliveries.
With this achievement, she surpassed the previous record held by the regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored the fastest century in 87 balls against South Africa in Bengaluru last year. Smriti ultimately scored 135 runs from 80 balls, featuring 12 fours and 7 sixes with a strike rate of 170.9.
She also set a record for the highest opening partnership in home ODIs for Indian women, totaling 233 runs with Pratika Rawal. Smriti is now the first Indian woman to achieve 10 ODI centuries and is only the third opener globally, joining Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13), to have double-digit 50-over hundreds.
The left-handed opener had previously scored 41 and 73 in the initial two matches against Ireland, with her fifty contributing to India’s record total of 370/5 in ODIs. In 2024, Smriti has excelled, amassing 736 runs in 21 T20I innings.
However, her ODI performance in 2024 has been extraordinary, accumulating 747 runs in 13 matches at an average of 57.46 and a strike rate of 95.15, including four centuries and three fifties. These impressive numbers have led to her nomination for the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award for 2024.
