Smriti Mandhana achieves big feat with half-century in IND-W vs WI-W 2nd T20I 2024 

India Women’s batter Smriti Mandhana made history on Tuesday, December 17, becoming the player with the most fifties in T20I cricket. The second T20I of the three-match series against West Indies Women is being played at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

The Indian opener started cautiously, scoring 15 runs off 14 balls. However, she then accelerated and brought up her half-century in 37 balls, with the West Indies dropping her thrice during her innings. Mandhana finished with 62 runs off 41 balls, including nine boundaries and one six.

With this half-century, the 28-year-old took her career total to 29, surpassing New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, who has 28 fifties and one hundred. Mandhana has now accumulated 3,684 runs in 147 T20I matches at an average of 29, including 29 fifties.

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Smriti Mandhana's fifty powers India to a decent total in the second T20I against the West Indies

West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl. India’s stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana and Uma Chetry opened the batting for the hosts. Chetry had a disappointing outing, dismissed for just four off six balls.

Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored a half-century in the first game, also failed to make much of an impact, managing only 13 off 15 balls. Debutant Raghvi Bist struggled as well, scoring just five off eight balls.

However, Mandhana kept the runs flowing at the other end, adding 56 runs off 34 balls for the fourth wicket with Deepti Sharma. She finished with 62 off 41 balls.

Deepti’s innings was cut short at 17 off 15 balls after a miscommunication with Richa Ghosh resulted in the former being run out, leaving India at 108/5. While wickets continued to fall at one end, Richa played a brilliant cameo, scoring 32 off 17 balls, including six boundaries. India ended their innings at 159/9 in 20 overs.

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