Smriti Mandhana enters elite club with historic century, powers India to record T20I total
Smriti Mandhana scripted history on Saturday, becoming the first Indian woman to score centuries across all international formats with a breathtaking maiden T20I hundred against England at Trent Bridge.
The stand-in captain, leading in Harmanpreet Kaur's absence, blazed her way to 112 off just 62 deliveries – the highest individual score by an Indian woman in T20Is. Mandhana reached her milestone in 51 balls, peppering the boundary with 15 fours and three sixes, and overtaking Kaur's previous record of 103. Her knock anchored India to a formidable 210/5, their highest T20I total against England. The left-hander's assault included fearless strikes against England's premier spinner Sophie Ecclestone and a flurry of boundaries off pacer Lauren Bell. With this, she joined an elite quintet of global cricketers – Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Laura Wolvaardt, and Beth Mooney – to achieve the all-format century feat.Mandhana's leadership shone as she compensated for opener Shafali Verma's slow start (20 off 22), forging a 77-run opening stand before adding 94 crucial runs with Harleen Deol (43 off 23). Despite Deol's drop on 26 by Danny Wyatt-Hodge, Mandhana offered no reprieves, dominating England's attack from the fourth over onward. She targeted left-arm spinner Linsey Smith for three boundaries in an over and launched Ecclestone for two sixes in the seventh. Her aggressive intent propelled India past 200 – only their second 200+ total in T20Is – while her partnership with Verma became the most prolific 50+ stand duo (21) in women's T20I history, surpassing Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney . Though Lauren Bell claimed 3/27 late in the innings, including Jemimah Rodrigues for a golden duck, Mandhana's masterclass had already cemented India's command.
The innings underscored Mandhana's evolution as a T20I powerhouse. Already holding the record for most half-centuries (31) in women's T20Is, she converted her explosive form into a defining century, erasing her previous best of 87. Her achievement resonates beyond personal milestones: it marks India's strongest start to a vital five-match series, where they seek their first multi-game T20I win on English soil. With regular captain Kaur sidelined by injury, Mandhana's seamless fusion of leadership and performance, under pressure against a top-ranked side, signals a new benchmark for India's batting ambitions.
As noted by the BCCI, she now stands as the "first Indian woman cricketer to have international centuries in all three formats," a feat amplifying her status as the face of India's modern batting revolution. England, despite Bell's efforts, face a record chase in reply.
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