One of the world’s crickets’ most elegant batters, Smriti Mandhana, during India’s 2nd One-Day International at Canterbury, surpassed the 3000 runs milestone in ODI cricket, becoming the 3rd and the fastest Indian player to achieve the landmark.
Smriti Mandhana debuted in 2013 and since only 7 women batters in the world have made more runs than her in the format and only 3 women batters have made more scores of fifty or plus in ODIs. The 26-year-old has got to her 3000 runs milestone in 76 innings at an average of 43.18, a strike rate of 84.37 and has got the highest score of 135 to her name.
The southpaw opener is the third on the list, following Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur to an Indian to 3000 runs and on her way has got to 5 centuries and as many as 24 half-centuries in the format alone in 76 innings which sees her as the fastest to the feat by an Indian woman.
Across both men’s and women’s cricket, Smriti Mandhana became the third fastest Indian after Shikhar Dhawan who reached 3000 ODI runs in 72 innings, and Virat Kohli who did so in 75 innings.
Women’s cricket as a whole alone has seen 22 players with over 3000 ODI runs, but there only are a couple in Belinda Clarke who got to the landmark in 62 innings and Meg Lanning who did so in 64 innings on the list holding better positions than Smriti Mandhana.
Smriti Mandhana during India’s tour of England this year has broken and set many milestones. A standout of many came during the first (T20I) leg of the series when Mandhana post her 53-ball-79 became the joint highest player with 17 fifties to her name in the format equalling Mithali Raj.
Smriti Mandhana carried on her delightful form to the ODI’s where she in the opening game smashed a 99-ball-91 that powered India to a swift chase. She followed her score of 91 with a 41 off 50 in the 2nd ODI where she did well in providing India with a strong platform that the side made the most of in registering a commanding win to seal the series win 2-0.
