Smriti Mandhana's 5 best moments in international cricket ft. youngest Indian T20I skipper
Indian women's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana turned 28 on July 18, 2024. Since making her debut in 2013, Mandhana has been churning out runs consistently across all formats.
With a total of 7,534 runs, she is the second-highest run-scorer for India in international cricket, behind Mithali Raj's tally of 10,868 runs. Interestingly, Mandhana has already scored more centuries (9) than Raj (8).
The reliable batter has created a plethora of batting records in recent years, and still has so much to offer for the Indian team. She is only the second player after Australia’s Ellyse Perry to win the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award twice. Moreover, she also held the No. 1 rank in the ODI batter's rankings in 2019.
On that note, let's take a look at the five finest moments of Mandhana's international career.
#5 Making her international debut at 17
Smriti Mandhana had cricket in her blood, as her father played at the district level for Sangli. Learning cricket early, she was a part of Maharashtra U15 team at an age of nine. Then, at a tender age of 11, the southpaw marked her presence in the state's U19 side as well.
With remarkable talent and consistency, Mandhana made her T20I debut at an age of 17 in April 2013 against Bangladesh. She impressed the onlookers by returning as the team's highest-scorer with 39 off 36 balls and helping India win by 10 runs.
#4 Youngest captain of Indian T20I team
At 22 years and 229 days old, Mandhana became the youngest T20I captain in the history of Indian cricket. She achieved the feat during the first game of the three-match T20I series between India and England on March 4, 2019. However, her debut captaincy stint could not be memorable as she scored only 2 off 8, as England won the game by 41 runs.
Before her, Harmanpreet Kaur was the youngest Indian women's T20I captain at 23 years and 237 days. Meanwhile, Suresh Raina holds the record in Indian men's T20I cricket at 23 years and 197 days old.
#3 Top-scored for gold medal-winning Indian team in the Asian Games final
The Indian team met Sri Lanka at the Asian Games final held in Hangzhou on September 25, 2023. Although Shafali Verma was dismissed for 9, Jemimah Rodrigues joined hands with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana to steer the team at a comfortable rate.
The duo joined hands before Mandhana made her way back to the hut by top-scoring with 46 off 45 balls, with four fours and a six. Meanwhile, Rodrigues contributed 42 off 40, as India posted a target of 117 for the opposition team. In response, Sri Lanka were restricted to 97/8, as the Women in Blue secured the gold medal.
#2 Scoring fastest T20I 50 by an Indian woman
Smriti Mandhana etched her name into the history books on August 6, 2022 by scoring the fastest half-century for Indian women's team in T20Is. It all happened in India's semi-final fixture in 2022 Commonwealth Games against England.
India batted first and got a terrific start from Mandhana, as she found boundaries at her will by finding gaps to perfection. She scored a half-century off 23 balls, and went on to slam 61 off 32 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. Coming at No. 3, Rodrigues garnered 44 off 31 as India posted a formidable 164 on the board. In response, England could manage to finish on 160/6, and lost by four runs.
Interestingly, Mandhana broke her own record with this knock, as she had scored a fifty off 24 balls against New Zealand in 2019.
#1 Smriti Mandhana emerged as India's top batter in 2022 ODI World Cup
Although the Indian team finished fifth in the points table, the left-handed batter impressed with her consistency in the 2022 ODI World Cup, held in New Zealand.
Mandhana garnered 327 runs in seven innings at an average of 46.71, with a hundred and two fifties. Her top knock of 123 off 119 floored West Indies bowlers, as India posted a mammoth 317 on the board. In response, the Caribbean team was bundled out on 162.
The skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur also ended with an impressive tally of 317 runs in the World Cup, while scoring a century and two half-centuries.