Smriti Mandhana has etched her name into the chronicles of cricketing history by becoming the fastest Indian woman to reach seven One Day International (ODI) centuries. She achieved this milestone in 84 innings after hammering her third ton against the Proteas in the 2nd ODI of the three-match series with India currently leading 1-0. Mandhana’s 117, which was her first century on Indian soil in the first ODI, was followed by a stunning 136 in the second one-day match, which is also her highest score in international cricket, surpassing her previous best of 135, which also came against South Africa.
Her seventh century came on a tricky Bengaluru pitch, where she took 16 balls to get her first run. Yet, with her characteristic elegance and ability to switch gears, Mandhana crafted an innings of sheer brilliance, which came at an explosive strike rate of 113. This is also her highest strike rate on occasions when she has scored a century, with the previous best being against the West Indies, where she scored 123 at a strike rate of 112, which was her fifth ODI ton. Her seventh ODI ton was filled with 18 boundaries and two maximums. Smriti’s 136 against the Proteas is also the highest score by an Indian in women’s ODIs at home, rewriting her own record of the 117-run knock from the first ODI on Sunday, which was the previous highest.
Comparatively, the 27-year-old’s feat is monumental when viewed against the backdrop of the fastest woman to seven ODI centuries. The record is held by Australia’s Meg Lanning, who reached the milestone in just 44 innings, setting an almost unreachable benchmark. England’s Tammy Beaumont followed with 62 innings, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates in 81, and Australia’s Karen Rolton in 83 innings. Mandhana’s achievement, coming next in line, underscores her place among the elite in women’s cricket.
Fastest to seven WODI centuries (innings):
44 Meg Lanning
62 Tammy Beaumont
81 Suzie Bates
83 Karen Rolton
84 Smriti Mandhana
87 Nat Sciver-Brunt
Mandhana’s accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given the competitive nature of contemporary women’s cricket, where the standard of play continues to rise. Her century also highlights the growth of Indian women’s cricket in recent years, a sport that has increasingly garnered significant attention and support. Mandhana also became the first Indian batter to record hundreds in successive innings in women’s ODIs. Nine batters before Mandhana had hundreds in consecutive women’s ODI innings, with only Amy Satterthwaite scoring more than two in succession—four in a row in 2016-2017.
Mandhana’s impact goes beyond records and statistics; she is a role model whose influence can be seen in the growing participation and interest in women’s cricket across India and worldwide.
