In a thrilling encounter at the Women’s World Cup 2025, Smriti Mandhana showcased her batting prowess with an impressive century against New Zealand. This match took place at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. With her 88-ball century, Mandhana solidified her status as one of the leading run-scorers in women’s ODIs.
Milestone Achievement for Smriti Mandhana
With this latest century, Mandhana has now accumulated 14 ODI centuries, surpassing New Zealand’s Suzie Bates on the all-time list. She trails only Australia’s Meg Lanning, who boasts 15 centuries before her retirement from international cricket. This marks a significant milestone for Mandhana as she strives to etch her name in the record books.
2025 Season Highlights
This century is Mandhana’s fifth of 2025, tying her for the most centuries in a calendar year alongside South Africa’s Tazmin Brits. Interestingly, both players reached their fifth century in the same year.
- Smriti Mandhana: 5 centuries in 2025
- Tazmin Brits: 5 centuries in 2025
World Cup Performance
Mandhana’s century against New Zealand is notable as it is her third in World Cup history, joining Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in this record. In addition, Mandhana previously broke the single-year run-scoring record set by Belinda Clark, a 28-year-old milestone.
Her performance included 109 runs off 95 balls, featuring 10 fours and 4 sixes. Mandhana was eventually dismissed by Suzie Bates.
Team Dynamics and Match Context
Initially, Mandhana faced challenges in the World Cup, recording low scores in the first three matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa. However, she regained form with substantial scores of 80 and 88 against Australia and England, despite India losing both matches.
Coming into the must-win game against New Zealand, India found itself contesting for a semifinal spot along with Australia, England, and South Africa, who had already qualified.
Openers Making History
In a pivotal partnership, Mandhana and opener Pratika Rawal shared a remarkable over 200-run stand. This partnership marked their fourth collaboration of 150 or more runs, including two partnerships exceeding 200 runs. The two players have now become the fourth pair in women’s cricket to achieve this feat.
Team Changes
For the match against New Zealand, India made a strategic change, bringing Jemimah Rodrigues into the lineup in place of Amanjot Kaur. This change was vital in India’s push to secure a place in the semifinals.
