ODI records held by Indian Women cricketers that might never be broken
The Indian women’s cricket team made the entire country proud by playing riveting cricket in the Women’s T20 World Cup held in Australia. The ‘Women in Blue’ were scintillating throughout the tournament, but one bad day in the final meant that they fell just one step short of the finish line.
Some of the world’s best women cricketers are from India, few of whose names we can take in the same breath as the many legends of men’s cricket. In this article, let us look at three of the most notable records held by Indian women in ODI cricket that might never be broken.
#3.Most runs in One Day Internationals
While the ‘Little Master’ Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most ODI runs in men’s cricket, Mithali Raj has made us equally proud in women’s cricket.
The former Indian ODI and Test captain is arguably the greatest batswoman in the history of women’s cricket. The former skipper made her ODI debut on 26th June 1999 as a sixteen-year-old against Ireland and has since played over 200 ODI’s.
In the 209 matches that she has played for India, the legendary batswoman has scored 6,888 runs at an outstanding average of 50.64, including 7 centuries and 53 half-centuries.
She is the only woman cricketer to have breached the 6000-run mark in women’s one-day internationals. While Mithali Raj has retired from the T20 cricket, she continues to don the Indian blue jersey in One-day internationals.
The closest active woman cricketer who can go past the legendary Mithali Raj is Sarah Taylor. She has not yet breached the 4000 run mark and is miles away from overhauling Mithali. And, given that she is already over 30 years old, it is highly unlikely that she would go on to score over 6000 ODI runs. Also, the second woman on the list is Charlotte Edwards, who has 5992 runs to her name. But since she is already retired, this record of Mithali will stand the test of time.
#2.Most wickets in One Day Internationals
Another record that is held by an Indian woman is that of the most wickets in ODI cricket. Jhulan Goswami is known for both her batting and bowling capabilities and holds the record for the most wickets in ODIs.
The former Indian women’s captain is an all-rounder who has been the backbone of the Indian women’s team for over a decade now. This 5-foot 11-inch towering express made her ODI debut on 6th January 2002 in an ODI against England for the ‘Women in Blue’.
In the 182 ODI’s that she has played, Jhulan Goswami has scalped 225 wickets at an astonishing economy rate of 3.28 runs per over. Jhulan has 6 four-wicket hauls and 2 five-wicket hauls to her credit. Her best bowling figures of 6/31 came against New Zealand in the year 2011. Sadly, despite Jhulan’s heroics, India lost the match.
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The closest active cricketer who can go past Jhulan is Ellyse Perry, and she is more than 70 wickets behind. Given that Jhulan still has a few years of cricket left in her and given that she is the only woman’s cricketer to have taken over 200 ODI wickets, it would not be easy for any player to go past Jhulan’s towering record.
#1.Largest first-wicket partnership in an ODI
With their 320-run partnership, in an ODI against Ireland as part of the Women's Quadrangular series in South Africa (2017), Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut broke a longstanding eleven-year-old record. The Indian openers bettered the previous first-wicket partnership of 268, held by England’s Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins achieved at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in the year 2008.
While nineteen-year-old Deepti scored a whirlwind 188 off just 160 balls, an innings studded with 27 fours and 2 sixes, Poonam smashed her way to a swashbuckling century. India finished with a daunting score of 358/3, winning the match by a huge margin of 249 runs. Deepti Sharma’s 188 is the third-highest individual score in ODIs by a woman cricketer, after New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr (232*) and Australia’s Belinda Clark (229).
Given that in the entire five-decade history of women’s cricket, no pair has put on a 300 run opening stand, this record held by the dynamic duo of Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut will take a herculean effort to be broken.