In a landmark moment for women’s cricket, Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana etched her name into the history books on 3rd September 2026, surpassing both Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt to become the player with the most international centuries across formats in the women’s game.
The 30-year-old left-handed opener achieved her 18th international hundred during India’s ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 clash against Hong Kong at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, overtaking the legendary Australian skipper Meg Lanning and South African captain Laura Wolvaardt, who were jointly positioned at 17 centuries each.
Batting first after Hong Kong skipper Natasha Miles elected to bowl, Mandhana unleashed a sensational 124 off just 64 balls, her highest-ever score in the format. Her innings, studded with 14 boundaries and 7 sixes, was the cornerstone of India’s imposing 193/5, the highest total of this edition of the Asia Cup. This was Mandhana’s second T20I century, which also stands as the most centuries by an Indian batter in the format. Her explosive knock included a record 98 runs from boundaries in a single Women’s T20I innings for India, and she now holds the record for the most sixes (95) by an Indian in Women’s T20Is.
The opening partnership between Mandhana and Shafali Verma set the tone, as the duo stitched together a 74-run stand, scoring at over 9 runs per over. Verma’s dismissal for 28 off 17 balls, caught by Marina Lamplough off Ruchitha Venkatesh, brought Hong Kong their first breakthrough in the 8th over. However, Mandhana continued to dominate, building substantial partnerships of 37 runs with Pratika Rawal, 40 runs with wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh, and a quick-fire 34-run stand with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur before an unfortunate run-out in the final over ended her innings.
India’s 193/5 proved far too much for Hong Kong, who were bundled out for 56 in just 16.2 overs, handing India a record 137-run victory, the second-biggest margin of victory by runs in India’s T20I history. Mandhana was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match for her match-defining performance. This victory also made India the first team to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the ongoing 6th edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026, hosted by the United Arab Emirates from 28th August to 13th September 2026. India currently sits atop Group A with 4 points from 2 matches, having defeated Thailand by 94 runs in their tournament opener on 30th August 2026.
Smriti Mandhana’s previous international century came in an ODI against New Zealand on 23rd October 2025, during the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Scoring 109 off 95 balls, she helped India secure a crucial 53-run victory in a must-win clash, earning the Player of the Match award. That century was her 17th in international cricket, and India went on to clinch their maiden senior ICC title by defeating South Africa in the final on 2nd November 2025 at the same venue.
Across 120 ODI innings since her debut on 10th April 2013 against Bangladesh in Ahmedabad, Mandhana has 35 half-centuries and 14 centuries. Her first international century came against Australia on 5th February 2016 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, where she scored 102 off 109 balls in a losing cause but still earned the Player of the Match award.
In T20Is, Mandhana has scored 4,681 runs at a strike rate of 126.54 and an average of 30.79 across 167 innings in 173 matches since her debut on 5th April 2013 against Bangladesh in Vadodara. In Tests, she has scored a couple of centuries in 16 innings and 9 matches so far since her debut against England at Wormsley on 13th August 2014.
With this historic 18th century, Smriti Mandhana has firmly established herself as the most prolific century-maker in women’s international cricket, a testament to her consistency, class, and longevity at the highest level.
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