Smriti Mandhana - Second Fastest Indian To Score 2000 ODI Runs

Ace batswoman Smriti Mandhana is now the second fastest Indian after Shikhar Dhawan, and the third fastest woman after Belinda Clark and Meg Lanning to score 2,000 runs in one-day internationals. Batting with a great pace, Mandhana returned to the ODI team after recovering from a toe injury and hit a fantastic fifty against West Indies in Antigua on Wednesday to collect 2000 runs in ODI cricket. Thus, she became only the second fastest Indian to reach the milestone. Dhawan (48 innings) is the only other Indian to hold the record score 2,000 runs in 50-overs cricket while Virat Kohli touched the mark in 53 innings.

Mandhana kept her form up-top and smashed nine boundaries and three sixes. India chased down 195 with the help of this powerpacked batswoman who batted off 74 runs in just 63 balls. India won by six wickets. India's win over West Indies in the 3rd ODI sealed them a 3-match series 2-1 in Antigua.

The left-handed batter, Mandhana has scored a total of 2025 runs from 51 matches at an average of 43.08. She has now levelled up to 2000 runs in ODI cricket faster than Virat Kohli (53), Sourav Ganguly (52), and Navjot Sidhu (52). In a brilliant career so far, she has scored four centuries and 17 fifties in ODI alone.

Key Takeaways:

• Smriti Mandhana reached 2000 runs in her 51st ODI match, became the second fastest Indian after Shikhar Dhawan to score 2000 runs in ODI cricket
• Mandhana has reached the milestone faster than Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly, and Navjot Sidhu
• Shikhar Dhawan holds the Indian record -- 48 innings
• Mandhana is also the third fastest woman after Belinda Clark and Meg Lanning to score 2,000 runs in one-day internationals.

A brilliant year so far

Mandhana continues to perform brilliantly on the field as the opener and number one ODI batswoman as she was awarded with Arjuna Award recently. The all-rounder is levelling up her game in the lead up to the Women’s T20 World Cup early next year. The stellar batswoman was also awarded the ODI Player of the Year by ICC, this is yet another feather in her cap. The talented player received the award after her outstanding performance at the recently-concluded Women’s T20 Challenge. In April this year, she was also awarded ‘Women’s Leading Cricketer of the Year’ in the 2018 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

At 22, Mandhana is the number one T20 women cricketer in the world.

This season saw the 22-year-old reach the top of the ODI rankings. Speaking about her batting she had earlier said, “I and Coach Raman sir have been discussing quite a bit about my game. How I can become more consistent in T20 cricket, how I can add more power to my game. I still feel I need to improve on that front.”

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22-year-old Mandhana is only the second Indian woman to win an International Cricket Council award, fast bowler Jhulan Goswami being the first one, who was named women’s player of the year in 2007.

She further added, “You have to improve because other teams are also keeping an eye on you. Adding new shots is not something which I am looking for; I am looking to consistently hit the same length of balls in different places.”

Smriti Mandhana also made it to the ‘Forbes India 30 Under 30’ list this year, the only cricketer.

The T20 World Cup will be held in Australia from February 21 to March 8 next year. And, Smriti Mandhana's ODI runs have assured us that she is tougher than ever!

Congrats and all the best to the feisty player!

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