Born on 18th July 1996 in Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, is current Test, ODI and T20 International player for India, Smriti Mandhana.
One of the most elegant batters in the world, this left-hander has already played in 143 international matches for India by the time she turned 25 years old. Just how many more runs will we see from the blade of Smriti Mandhana in the next decade?
Smriti made her international debut on 5th April 2013, a sixteen year old given the job of opening the batting in a T20 International against Bangladesh. The bold youngster scored 39 from 36 deliveries, top scoring for India in her debut. She has remained a fixture at the top of the Indian T20 batting order since.
Five days later Smriti made her ODI debut against the same opposition, scoring 25 runs batting at number three. By her second match she was opening the batting. The following year in England, she made her Test debut, against England at Wormsley, also opening the batting. She scored a half century in the second innings as India went on to win by six wickets. In each of the formats where Smriti Mandhana made her debut, India won the match.
Embed from Getty ImagesHaving played just four Test matches Smriti has scored 325 runs at 46.42 with a top score of 127 against Australia in October 2021. In the shorter formats her value as a batter even greater.
In 74 ODIs she has scored 2892 runs, already third highest of all time for India. Her highest score of 135 is one of five centuries and second only to Mithali Raj (seven). Her strike rate of 84.24 is India’s second best and her average 42.52 is second only to Mithali (50.68) for India.
In 87 T20 Internationals has scored 2033 runs (3rd highest for India) at a strike rate of 120.15, second only to Shafali Verma. She has scored 14 half centuries with a top score of 86. One feels that it is only a matter of time before she scores triple figures.