In Match 24 of the Women’s ODI World Cup, which took place at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, Indian opener Smriti Mandhana scored a rapid-fire century against New Zealand, continuing her incredible run-scoring rampage in 2025.
In a match that India must win to advance to the semifinals, Mandhana delivered another batting masterclass, hitting 10 fours and three sixes to reach her 14th career century off 88 balls.
Mandhana is the first batter in Women’s ODI cricket to amass 1000 runs or more in a calendar year. She has already scored five hundreds and an equal number of half-centuries this season.
She got off to a cautious start on Thursday before launching into a barrage of shots over the ground, easily destroying the bowlers from New Zealand.
Additionally, Mandhana and Pratika Rawal amassed 212 runs for the first wicket partnership, which is the biggest opening partnership in Indian women’s ODI history.
Together with Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley and Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite, this was the fourth time that Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal had partnered for more than 150 runs in ODIs. They tied for the most centuries as an Indian duo with this seventh century stand for the first wicket.
Mandhana dominated the bowling with a masterful performance of stroke play, effortlessly cutting, driving, and pulling. She was very harsh on Amelia Kerr, hitting her for a four and six off consecutive balls in the 29th over, and she hit New Zealand captain Sophie Devine for two boundaries in an over. Amelia Kerr hit two of her four sixes, while Jess Kerr and Eden Carson hit the third and fourth.
She was eventually dismissed for 109 off 95 balls (10×4, 4×6) after misfiring on a slog-sweep to Hannah Rowe, a replacement fielder, at midwicket off Suzie Bates. The fielder caught the tired-looking shot on her second try.
Mandhana was given leg before wicket by Amelia Kerr in the 27th over while she was in the 70s, but the DRS spared her, demonstrating that she had edged the ball into her pads.
With 1259 runs in 20 innings over 20 games so far in 2025, Mandhana is the top run scorer of the year. With two half-centuries and a hundred, she is also the tournament’s top run scorer (331 runs).
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