The year 2024 has been a mixed bag as far as the Indian women’s game is concerned, the elation of India’s impressive run in the red-ball format, on one hand, has been a moment of pride, while on the other hand, India ending as the runners up in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in July, followed by the Women in Blue’s league stage exit for the first time under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur in the 9th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, left behind haunting memories for all the Indian fans around the world.
In this article, we will have a look at the good part of the year that is shortly coming to an end with a wrap of all the cricketing action with the 3rd and final ODI of the ongoing white-ball bilateral home series against the West Indies on Friday, 27th December 2024.
Smriti Mandhana’s record 4 ODI centuries
The Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is having a sensational year with the bat, especially in the ODI format. She is currently the 2nd highest run-scorer in the format this year with 599 runs at a strike rate of 97.08 and an exceptional average of 59.90 in just 10 innings for her side so far.
She is just 98 runs away from toppling the South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt (697 runs) to become the highest run-scorer in the format this year, with three more ODI games to go this year against the West Indies. Her tally of runs includes 4 centuries and a half-century.
En route to her 105-run knock, her 9th triple-digit ODI score, in the 3rd ODI at the W.A.C.A, Perth, in the recently concluded bilateral ODI series against Australia, Mandhana became the first woman cricketer to score four centuries in the ODI format in a single calendar year. Her 4 centuries have come against South Africa (twice), New Zealand, and Australia this year.
Notably, Mandhana also surpassed the former Indian skipper Mithali Raj (7) for the most number of centuries by an Indian in Women’s ODIs, when she scored 100 (122 balls) against New Zealand in the 3rd ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad.
Apart from her exploits in the ODI formats, despite a disappointing campaign for her with the bat at the T20 World Cup, she became the first Indian woman to score 3,500 T20I runs in India’s opening game of the campaign against New Zealand. Later on, the Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur also went past the landmark, becoming the 2nd Indian to do so in the format.
Shafali Verma’s Test double century
The 20-year-old swashbuckling opening batter Shafali Verma is known for her power-packed hitting and has made a name for herself by adopting the aggressive and fearless brand of cricket, since making her international debut for India on 24th September 2019, in a T20I against South Africa at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat. She displayed her full range of aggression mixed with composure when she became the 2nd youngest woman to score a Test double century at 20 Years and 152 days, after Mithali Raj (19 Years and 254 Days). She completed her double century in 194 balls against South Africa on 28th June 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai. Her blazing knock (205 off 197 balls) came to an end courtesy of a run-out. Her knock included 23 boundaries and 8 maximums.
India’s record 603/6 in the one-off Test against South Africa
In June 2024, the Indian team led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hosted South Africa for the first time in a one-off Test match since November 2014. The Indian openers Shafali Verma (205 off 197 balls) and Smriti Mandhana (149 off 161 balls) set the tone for something special with a highest-ever opening partnership in a women’s Test match with a 292-run blockbuster opening act.
It was the same game where Shafali Verma became the 2nd youngest to score a double century in a women’s Test match. The Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana fell just one run short of 150. India eventually declared after posting a mountainous total (603/6 in 115.1 overs) in the first innings after the Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai. It is also the highest ever team total in the history of women’s Test cricket to date. India eventually sealed the game with 10 wickets chasing a target of 37, after South Africa were made to follow-on, courtesy to the visitors for batting out of their skins to make India bat again in that game. It was indeed a memorable Test match with numerous records being made and rewritten throughout the game.
Maiden title-triumph for Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Finally, the prayers of all the die-hard Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans showing all the love from the bottom of their heart, over a period of 16 years, since the inception of franchise cricket in India in the form of the Indian Premier League (IPL) were answered. And guess what? It was the Smriti Mandhana-led side who delivered their first-ever title in franchise cricket by defeating Delhi Capitals led by skipper Meg Lanning by 8 wickets in the final of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on 17th March 2024, just into their 2nd season of the tournament’s brief 2-year history so far.
Cash Reward for domestic players
In a positive step towards encouraging the growth of the women’s game in the country, Jay Shah, the now former BCCI Secretary, in August earlier this year, posted via his personal X handle (Formerly known as Twitter) announcing the introduction of price money for the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards in all Women’s and Junior Cricket tournaments covered under the domestic programme.
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