Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has made history by surpassing her role model Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in Women’s Internationals, a milestone she humbly admitted she ‘never imagined’ achieving.
Key Points
- Smriti Mandhana has surpassed Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in Women’s Internationals, accumulating 10,880 runs across all three formats.
- Mandhana expressed her surprise, stating she ‘never imagined’ going past her role model and legendary former captain, Mithali Raj.
- She also set a new record for the highest individual score in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and became the batter with the most centuries (18) in women’s international cricket, surpassing Meg Lanning.
- Despite individual achievements, Mandhana acknowledged the middle order’s struggle for runs but backed her teammates to adapt and perform.
- Mandhana found batting in Dubai’s heat and humidity physically demanding, describing the conditions as a ‘steam box’.
Smriti Mandhana had to pinch herself after surpassing Mithali Raj to become the leading run-getter in Women’s Internationals as she “never imagined” to go past the legendary Indian batter.
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Mandhana played a major chunk of her career under Mithali’s captaincy and the former India captain was also her role model growing up. History was created at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday as the Indian vice-captain went past Mithali Raj’s tally of 10,868 International runs. Mandhana now has 10,880 across the three formats.
Mandhana’s Reaction to Record-Breaking Feat
“Yeah, I mean, till I was batting, I didn’t know what record it was because I didn’t know the exact runs or all of that. But looking back, one of 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, I definitely never imagined to do that. But happy that there are two Indians at the top two,” Mandhana said in the post-match media interaction.
Additional Milestones and Challenges
She also set a new record for the highest individual score in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup surpassing Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu’s unbeaten 119 against Malaysia in the 2024 edition in Dambulla. The Indian opener also became the batter with the most centuries (18) in women’s international cricket, going past Australian legend Meg Lanning (17).
“Going past the international record of centuries, 18 is a good number to go past, firstly, I will say that,” she said. “But again, I mean, two of the legends of women’s cricket — Meg Lanning and Mithali Raj — genuinely, these are the two people whom I have grown up watching a lot. I’ve tried to take a lot of things from them as batters. “So, really happy that I could go past them in whatever ways, but again, it’s just a stat, I would say.”
Backing the Middle Order and Battling Conditions
Despite two big wins, India’s middle order has struggled for runs in the opening two matches, but Mandhana has backed the batters to come good. “I wouldn’t say that… It’s easy conditions to bat out there. 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 ways. “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.”
Mandhana further admitted that batting for a long period in Dubai’s heat and humidity was physically demanding. “It did feel like a steam box today. Dubai, again, with the heat and the humidity, it can get a little tougher. But I was lucky I got a few fours and sixes and I didn’t have to run a lot of twos,” she said. “But yeah, definitely, I would say a little testing conditions to be batting for a long time.”
Source: www.rediff.com
