Smriti Mandhana has etched her name in the record books once again, solidifying her status as a dominant force in women's cricket. In a recent One Day International (ODI) against Australia, Mandhana smashed the fastest century by an Indian in ODIs, reaching the milestone in just 50 balls. This incredible feat broke the previous record held by Virat Kohli, who scored a century off 52 deliveries in 2013.
The record-breaking innings occurred during the series decider against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. India was chasing a daunting target of 413 runs when Mandhana decided to unleash her power. Her blistering innings included 17 boundaries and 5 sixes. Despite her heroics, India fell short of the target, losing the match by 43 runs.
Mandhana's 50-ball century is the second-fastest in women's ODI history, only behind Meg Lanning's 45-ball century against New Zealand in 2012. She celebrated her fourth ODI century against Australia with enthusiastic applause from the Delhi crowd. Mandhana now has 13 ODI centuries, equalling Suzie Bates and trailing only Meg Lanning (15 centuries). She has also achieved the feat of scoring consecutive ODI centuries twice, joining Tammy Beaumont as the only other player to accomplish this.
This was Mandhana's fourth century of 2025, matching her record from 2024. She shares the record for the most centuries in the current year with South Africa's Tazmin Brits. In the previous match against Australia, Mandhana scored 117 off 91 balls, leading India to a 102-run victory.
Despite her individual brilliance, Mandhana acknowledged the team's disappointment in not securing the series victory. However, her record-breaking performance and consistent run-scoring have cemented her place as a key player in the Indian women's cricket team.
In addition to her batting achievements, Mandhana has also reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings for women batters. Her consistent performances and match-winning contributions have made her a valuable asset to the team. Smriti Mandhana continues to break records and set new benchmarks, further solidifying her legacy as one of the greatest women cricketers of all time.
