Team India Player Smriti Mandhana Scripts History, Becomes First-Ever Woman Cricketer to….
Smriti Mandhana showcased her exceptional form with a stylish 91 off 102 balls, leading India to a total of 314/9 in the first Women’s ODI against the West Indies in Vadodara on Sunday. This innings marked Mandhana’s fifth consecutive score of over 50 runs, solidifying her status as a key player. She formed a crucial 110-run partnership with debutant PratikaRawal, who contributed 40 runs off 69 balls.
Mandhana’s performance was instrumental in setting a solid foundation for the Indian middle-order, which saw contributions from Harmanpreet Kaur (34 off 23), HarleenDeol (44 off 50), Richa Ghosh (26 off 12), and Jemimah Rodrigues (31 off 19). The team accelerated in the latter stages of the innings, although they could have added more runs in the final overs, managing only 20 runs in the last three overs.
Notably, Mandhana became the first woman cricketer to score over 1600 runs in a calendar year, finishing with a total of 1602 runs in 2024, surpassing Laura Wolvaardt’s tally of 1593. For the West Indies, left-arm spinner Zaida James stood out with impressive bowling figures of five wickets for 45 runs. Despite missing out on her century, Mandhana’s innings was a highlight and demonstrated her crucial role in the Indian batting lineup.