The India vice-captain ‘never imagined’ she would one day go past Mithali Raj’s record of most runs in women’s internationals
Soon after becoming the leading run-scorer in women’s internationals, and breaking other T20I records, India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said “it’s just the start” of things to come.
Mandhana hammered 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong to seal India’s semi-final spot in the Women’s Asia Cup and overtook Mithali Raj’s tally of 10,868 international runs during her innings. She now has 10,880 international runs.
“Till I was batting, I didn’t know what record because I didn’t know what’s the exact runs or all of that,” Mandhana said after the match in Dubai. “But yeah, looking back, definitely a very good day for Indian cricket, I would say. Of course, Mithali di has been such a legend and a role model, and we’ve all grown up watching her bat, so to go past her in the tally of runs is [something] I definitely never imagined to do. But happy that there are two Indians at the top two.”
Mandhana also has a record 18 centuries in international cricket, overtaking Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt who have 17 each. Mandhana has 14 ODI centuries – one behind Lanning at the top – and two each in Tests and T20Is.
“Going past the international record of the centuries, I mean, 18 is a good number to go past, firstly I will say that,” Mandhana said. “But again, two of the legends of women’s cricket, Meg Lanning and Mithali Raj. Genuinely, these are the two people who I have grown up watching a lot of my cricket, tried to take a lot of things from them as batters. So really happy that I could go past them in whatever way. But again, it’s just the start I would say.”
Mandhana batted for nearly an hour and a half after India were put in to bat by Hong Kong. She struck 14 fours and seven sixes, which meant she ran only 26 of her runs on a hot and humid night.
“Yeah, it did feel like a steam box today,” she said. “Dubai again with the Dubai heat and the humidity, it can get a little tougher. But I was lucky I got few fours and sixes, and I didn’t have to run a lot of twos on the field. Definitely, I would say, a little testing conditions to be batting for a long time.”
Though India completed a 137-run victory, they still faced persistent middle-order issues against an Associate nation that hardly plays against top oppositions. In India’s first game of the Asia Cup, against Thailand, they were cruising at 108 for 2 before collapsing to finish on 159 for 9. India didn’t collapse against Hong Kong but no batter got going after the opening stand of 74 in eight overs between Mandhana and Shafali Verma; 11 was the next best score and no one except Harmanpreet Kaur (10 off 9) scored at over a run a ball.
While Mandhana continued to find boundaries in the death overs – including three consecutive sixes in the 18th over – the batters from Nos. 3 to 7 managed just two fours in the 39 balls. India posted 193 for 5 because Mandhana batted until the 20th over.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s easy conditions to bat out there,” Mandhana said. “We know it can be a little tricky and definitely I am not the one to come in the press conferences and talk about or name anyone in that way. But having said that, I think everyone is a world-class batter in the middle order as well, and there’s no doubt about it that they’ll be able to adapt.”
India next play Pakistan on Saturday before the semi-finals on September 10 and 11.
