Smriti Mandhana chases the unthinkable, a record never achieved in cricket
Smriti Mandhana will have history in her sights when India begin their T20I series against Josephine Nkomo’s Zimbabwe on Thursday, October 16. The Indian opener is just 133 runs away from becoming the first batter in cricket history to reach 5,000 runs in T20Is, giving her an opportunity to achieve the unprecedented milestone in front of the home crowd.
Since her debut back in 2013, Mandhana has accumulated 4,867 runs in 179 T20I matches at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 127.47 with 2 centuries and 37 half-centuries. With three matches scheduled against Zimbabwe, the left-hander has a realistic opportunity to cross the landmark during the series.
Her consistency at the top of the order will be crucial as India look to make a strong start against the visiting side. The series also marks a significant new chapter in Mandhana’s career, with the experienced batter preparing to take charge of India as their full-time captain across formats.
MANDHANA BEGINS NEW CAPTAINCY ERA
Mandhana takes over the leadership from Harmanpreet Kaur, who stepped down from the captaincy earlier this month after leading India successfully defend their cricket gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The new skipper brings leadership experience from her time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, whom she guided to two Women’s Premier League titles.
Although this will be her first series as India’s full-time captain, Mandhana has previously led the national side on an interim basis. She has captained India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, winning 11 T20Is and all four ODIs. The Zimbabwe series will therefore offer her an opportunity to establish her own approach while continuing her pursuit of individual milestones.
The three T20Is will be played in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, followed by three ODIs in Vadodara on October 23, 25 and 28. The tour is historic, as it marks the first-ever bilateral women’s cricket series between India and Zimbabwe.
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