Smriti Mandhana, who turns 25 on July 18, has become one of the best cricketers in the modern era along with the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj.
Follow Us
In the annals of India women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur hold a special place in the development. Mithali is one of the all-time greats in the history of the sport. Harmanpreet is one of the most aggressive and naturally gifted players of her generation. But, for the last eight years, there has been one player at the top who has been giving India some magnificent starts. Her consistency, combined with her glamorous looks, has made her the ultimate poster girl for women’s cricket in India.
Having seen her brother play for Maharashtra, it was only obvious that Smriti Mandhana would go down the path of cricket. To have had her achievements from Sangli, a city far from Mumbai but near to Pune, it is a testament to the sheer skill that Mandhana possessed. When she was only nine years of age, Smriti Mandhana became one of the youngest players in the Under-15 team for Maharashtra.
But, it was in her breakthrough year of 2013 when Mandhana made waves in Indian cricket. It was the start of a journey that would make Mandhana one of the best in the business.
It was in the West Zone Under-19 tournament that Mandhana made her first impression. In a game between Maharashtra and Gujarat, Mandhana smashed 224 and she became the first Indian woman batter to hit a double ton in a one-day game. The knock of 224 was the start of something big for Mandhana. In the three games that she played for India Red, she hit three fifties and managed 192 runs to emerge as the leading run-getter.
The exploits of Mandhana resulted in her getting fast-tracked to the India national cricket team for the tour of England. Mandhana made her debut in the one-off Test against England and she made an impact. In a low-scoring match at Wormsley, Mandhana hit 51, and aided by Mithali’s 50, India registered a historic win by six wickets.
After her exploits in the England Test, Mandhana was ear-marked for greater things at the age of 18. In the ODIs and T20Is, Mandhana had still not got her strides. But, in 2016, all would change.
Mandhana got her first taste of success in ODIs when she hit 102 against Australia. But, in the 2017 ICC World Cup, it was the class of Mandhana that shone through. Her 90 in the first game against England gave India a big win. She followed it up with 106 against the West Indies as India made a magnificent start. But, Mandhana’s returns tapered as the tournament progressed and she faced the final heartbreak when England won the final at Lord’s by nine runs. In the final, Mandhana was dismissed for 0 by Anya Shrubsole.
Apart from the ODIs, Mandhana came into her own in the Women’s T20 Internationals from 2017. She had her best year in 2018 and 2019, scoring 622 and 405 runs. Her average was near 30 but her strike-rate was near 130. Her 83 in the 2018 ICC World T20 against Australia was one of the best after Harmanpreet’s century against New Zealand. In 2019, Mandhana had scores of 58,36 and 86 against New Zealand that gave India a rare series win.
Mandhana has been one of the few Indian woman cricketers to have crossed the divide. The left-hander and Harmanpreet, apart from Veda Krishnamurthy are some of the few Indian players to feature in the prestigious Women’s Big Bash League in Australia. Mandhana and Harmanpreet also participated in the Kia Super Smash T20 tournament in England.
Her exploits in 2018 gained tremendous recognition. She became the third cricketer for India to score 1,000 runs in WT20I matches. Mandhana ended that year as the leading run-scorer in WODIs with 669 at an average of 66.90. She was adjudged the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year.
During the match against England, Mandhana became India’s youngest captain when Harmanpreet was ruled out. At 22 years and 229 days, Mandhana continued to create history. In May 2019, she has won the International Woman Cricketer of the Year awards at CEAT International Cricket Awards 2019. In November 2019, during the series against West Indies, she became the third-fastest cricketer, in terms of innings, to score 2,000 runs in WODIs. Mandhana achieved it in her 51st innings.
With the emergence of Shafali Verma, the Indian top order has been potent. Mandhana is an artist who hits boundaries at will and finds the gap to perfection. Shafali is one of the most aggressive batters in the modern era. In the coming years, the dynamic duo of Mandhana and Shafali might recreate the history books in all formats for India.
