Smriti Mandhana, the top batter for India, became the third Indian player to reach the milestone in women’s ODIs on Wednesday after passing the 3000-run mark in the format.
Mandhana surpassed India icon Mithali Raj, who accomplished the record in 88 innings, after reaching the milestone in her 76th ODI innings. Mandhana accomplished this accomplishment in Canterbury’s second of three ODI matches against England. Smriti Mandhana completed 3,000 runs in ODI cricket at a strike rate of around 85 percent and an average of 43+.
After Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, Mandhana reached the milestone as the third-fastest Indian and the fastest women’s player. Dhawan scored 3000 runs in ODIs in 72 innings while Kohli did so in 75. Mandhana reached the milestone in her 76th innings, one innings more than Kohli did.
The left-handed opener, who made her ODI debut in 2013, has five hundreds and 24 half-centuries in the format and, after Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur, is the third player from India to reach the 3,000-run milestone.
Only two women’s players — Belinda Clark (62 innings) and Meg Lanning — have reached the milestone faster than Mandhana out of the 22 who have more than 3000 ODI runs (64 innings).
India is currently playing England in the second series of the ICC Women’s Championship cycle. The competition determines who will play in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025.
Mandhana gave India a seven-wicket victory on Sunday by opening the series with a sensational 91 from 99 balls in Hove. She started off strongly in the second ODI of the England series, scoring 40 runs off 51 balls before Sophie Ecclestone trapped her in front.
