Smriti Mandhana's world record, KL Rahul's role in the Test team and more - Cricket News Today, July 29, 2018
There has been a lot going on in the world of cricket over the past 24 hours. Bangladesh created history by winning their first international bilateral ODI series outside Asia in 2009 by beating West Indies in the third and final ODI of the three-match ODI series at St. Kitts and Nevis.
Smriti Mandhana continued her dream form in the Kia Women's Super League and made India proud by scoring the fastest fifty by a woman in T20 cricket. Ahead of the all-important five-match ODI series against England, India coach Ravi Shastri opened up on a lot of things including the role of KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara in the Test side and also went on to say that the current team is capable of doing well anywhere in the world.
Let us take a look at the things which made news in the cricket world today (29 July 2018).
Smriti Mandhana creates history
Indian T20I vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has been in fine form in the ongoing Kia Women's Cricket Super League T20 tournament. After scoring a 20-ball 48 and a 31-ball 37 against Yorkshire Diamonds and Surrey Stars respectively, she slammed the fastest fifty in women's T20 cricket during Western Storm's third match of the season against Loughborough Lightning at Taunton.
Smriti opened the batting for Western Storm in a rain-truncated six-over per side match and got her team off to a flying start by hitting a six off the very first ball she faced in her innings. There was no stopping her as she hit five fours and four sixes in her 19-ball 52 and reached her fifty off just 18 balls, which is not only the fastest by any batswoman in the tournament but also the joint-fastest by any woman in T20 cricket along with New Zealand's Sophie Devine's 18-ball fifty against India in Bangalore in 2015.
Her nock impressed everyone including her idol Kumar Sangakkara, who sent out a tweet congratulating and appreciating the talent she is.
You can read more about Smriti's brilliant knock here.