Indian women's cricket team defeated the England team by 7 wickets in the first WODI of the series. Smriti Mandhana scored a stunning 91 from 99 balls to give India a solid base. Along with her, Yastika Bhatia and Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored fifties as well to take India home in the ENGW vs INDW 1^st WODI match.

Former India cricketer Gargi Banerjee feels that is a satisfactory performance from the girls in blue as India outplayed their opponent in all the disciplines. However, she feels that India will have to keep the momentum going in order to win the series and give Jhulan Goswami a perfect send-off from international cricket.

Read Also: Oldest India women's player to play international cricket

Jhulan Goswami's inclusion in the team rugged off confidence to other bowlers of the team as they were more disciplined in their line and length throughout the match. Goswami, who bowled a tidy spell of 10-2-20-1 showed the path for youngsters like Meghna Singh and others.

"When you have a champion bowler and great mind like Jhulan in the team bowling with you, you tend to bowl well as well. Jhulan showed the way for others. And, as I was saying from the T20Is, Deepti Sharma needs to bowl well if India wants to do well in the middle overs. Deepti bowled brilliantly along with others," Gargi Banerjee stated in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.

It was a crucial toss, the partnership between Jhulan and Meghna was great. Credit to all the bowlers as they chipped through. (On Deepti Sharma) She is a very smart cricketer, she was doing exactly what was asked of her. 

Harmanpreet Kaur, Indian captain in the post-match presentation.

In addition, Gargi Banerjee was impressed with the way Indian women fielded in the first ENGW vs INDW WODI. "We fielded better in this match. We looked better as a team on the field. Somehow, they all looked motivated as well," Gargi Banerjee added.

Read Also: "In India, there is a question mark over everything women do:" Jhulan Goswami

However, it was the Indian batters who completed the task started well by the bowlers. Shafali Verma's poor form (1 from 6 balls) at the top continued but, Yastika Bahtia and Smriti Mandhana's partnership of 96 saved the day for India. Later, after Yastika's dismissal (50 off 47), Harmanpreet Kaur (74 not out) and Smriti Mandhanan's 99 runs partnership took India home. Harmanpreet finished the game with a signature six to state some authority.

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"Smriti looked flawless. Yes, the English bowlers did not have their best days, but Smriti looked solid in everything. Yastika's partnership with Smriti was vital for us. They created the base for Harmpanpreet to take over. As I have said earlier, you always need two big partnerships to score big or chase well. India had two brilliant partnerships," Gargi Banerjee expressed.

But the former India cricketer feels it will be interesting to see how the Indian batters will perform when the English bowlers will have a better day. "To keep the momentum going, they will have to score runs when the opponent bowlers are bowling well. Players like Yastika, and Harleen will have to step up if the seniors fail," she added.

"It is a great honour for all the players to play alongside legend Jhulan (Goswami). I am sure, Jhulan will be proud of herself as well seeing the whole team is giving extra effort to win it for her. There will not be any other Jhulan Goswami in Indian and world cricket. So, I hope the Indian team will give her the perfect podium to say goodbye. My best wishes are with them," Gargi Banerjee stated.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the Indian Women's Cricket team squad for the upcoming England tour starting June 28th, 2025.

The Women in Blue will play five T20Is and three ODIs against the England Women's Cricket team.

Harmanpreet Kaur was named the captain of the both squads. Meantime, Smriti Mandhana was named the vice captain of the team. 

Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare are a few of the new names in the squad who were not part of the Tri-Nation series-winning squad for India. Shafali Verma returned to the T20I squad after missing out for a few months due to being off form.

Read Also | Most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs: No one is catching Smriti Mandhana

Indian Women's Cricket team squad for the England tour

India’s T20I Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare

India's ODI Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare

India's tour to England full schedule 

With another century in the tri-nation series final against Sri Lanka, Smriti Mandhana now has extended her lead in the list of Indian players with the most centuries in Women's ODIs. The left-handed opener scored a staggering 116 from 101 balls to help India score 342 in the first inning in Colombo.

Here is a list of seven women batters with the most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs.

Also Read: Most T20I runs for Indian Women's team: Smriti Mandhana at top

Most centuries by Indian cricketers (WODI)

7. Jaya Sharma | 2 Centuries

Former Indian batter Jaya Sharma was only the second female Indian cricketer to have scored a century in ODI cricket. She smashed two centuries in WODI cricket in her career.

While her first century had come against Pakistan during Women's Asia Cup 2005 in Karachi, she scored another one in a winning effort against Australia in 2007 in Chennai making her the first Indian women to score an ODI century at home.

The left-handed batter could've achieved the milestone a few years before had she converted a couple of nervous 90s into hundreds.

6. Jemimah Rodrigues | 2 Centuries

Jemimah Rodrigues etched her name in the record books with a blistering century as India Women posted 337/9 in 50 overs against South Africa Women in the fifth match of the Women’s Tri-Series 2025 at Colombo.

Rodrigues delivered a sensational knock of 123 runs off just 101 balls, anchoring the middle overs and setting the tone for a massive total. Her innings featured 15 fours and one six, scored at a strike rate of 121.78.

With this century, Jemimah has now joined the elite list of most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs. This is also Rodrigues' highest score in Women's ODIs after her 102 against Ireland Women earlier this year.

5. Thirush Kamini | 2 Centuries

Former Indian and Tamil Nadu opener Thirush Kamini played for India at a time when women's cricket wasn't really picking up in the country. Regardless, she did well in her limited opportunities and notched a ton twice in her ODI career that spanned 39 matches and scored 825 runs at an average of 25.78.

Kamini's maiden ODI hundred came in India's win over the West Indies in the 2013 ODI World Cup. She stroked a 146-ball 100 to power India to a total of 284/6 in the first innings. India won that match comfortably and Thirush Kamini was rightfully awarded the POTM award.

4. Punam Raut | 3 Centuries

The diminutive Indian batter Punam Raut was one of the pillars in Indian batting along with Harmanpreet, Smriti, Mithali and Veda Krishnmurthy. Punam has recorded three centuries in women's ODI cricket.

Punam smashed one WODI century at a home venue and two WODI centuries at neutral venues. Her highest score in this format is 109 not out against Ireland Women at Potchefstroom during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017.

3. Harmanpreet Kaur | 6 Centuries

Indian Women's Cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur is one of the finest batters in Indian women’s cricket history. The right-handed batter has scored six WODI centuries in her career. 

Apart from three home WODI centuries, Harmanpreet also recorded two WODI hundreds at neutral venues and one more at an away venue. Her highest WODI score is 171 not out against Australia Women during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 semi-final.

2. Mithali Raj | 7 Centuries

Former Indian cricketer and captain Mithali Raj (7805 runs) is still the only player to score 6000 and 7000 WODI runs. The leading WODI run-scorer was the previous record holder for most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs.

She recorded seven WODI hundreds in her career.

While Mithali scored three WODI centuries at home, the right-handed batter recorded three WODI centuries at neutral venues and one at an away venue. Her highest WODI knock was 125 not out against Sri Lanka Women at Katunayake in 2018.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest centuries in Women's T20Is

1. Smriti Mandhana | 11 Centuries

Indian opening batter Smriti Mandhana is one of the best batters in the modern generation. The left-hander holds the record for most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs.

She achieved the record solely in January 2025 after scoring a 70-ball century against Ireland in the final ODI of a three-match series in Rajkot. It was her tenth WODI hundred. 

Mandhana has scored four WODI centuries at home, five WODI centuries in away venues, and two WODI hundreds at neutral venues. By scoring three out of four WODI home centuries in 2024, she also became the first Indian player to record three WODI hundreds in a calendar year.

Her record WODI score is 136 against South Africa Women in the 2024 Bengaluru WODI. 

The second season of the Bengal Pro T20 League is set to commence on May 16, starting with the women's tournament, while the men's tournament will begin on June 4. Although the first season was relatively successful, the fans were somewhat disappointed by the limited runs scored by the batters. Shreevats Gowasmi, a former Bengal and IPL cricketer, hopes to see more runs this season to attract both scouts and fans.

Goswami, a 2008 ICC U-19 World Cup winner and the recipient of the 2008 IPL Emerging Player of the Year award, shared his insights in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point. 

"Youngsters should focus on performing in state tournaments like BPT20L

The former left-handed top-order batter, who is a commentator and cricket analyst now, emphasised the significance of local state leagues in a recent Instagram post, highlighting the necessity for players to focus on these leagues before aspiring for larger platforms like the Indian Premier League.

"I.P.L. teams are always on the lookout for unknown talents who can surprise opponents. Players like Priyansh Arya, Aniket Verma, Vignesh Puthur, and Digvesh Rathi were relatively unknown before entering the I.P.L. All of them made a significant impact in their first few games. This is what teams are currently seeking," Goswami told Sportz Point.

"Since I.P.L. teams now send scouts to observe performances in state T20 leagues, there's always a possibility of getting noticed through these leagues. Thus, players must concentrate on delivering strong performances in tournaments like the Bengal Pro T20 League," he added.

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In addition to providing a platform for players, Goswami believes these leagues can also benefit the states by helping identify the next generation of cricketers. 

"With these leagues comprising 5-7 franchise teams, they offer a pool of players to evaluate. This also aids states in discovering their next wave of talent. So, it works well for both young players and the states," Goswami expressed.

Read Also | Exclusive: Bowls like Malinga, once doubted by her family, Nadia's Sonali Das is set for Bengal Pro T20 League dreams after an 8-wicket haul in School Cricket

"I would love to see more sixes and bigger scores"

To attract fans and impress scouts in a T20 format, significant scores and exhilarating last-ball finishes are crucial. These elements highlight the skills of the batters while challenging bowlers in high-pressure situations similar to those encountered in the I.P.L. 

For example, Priyansh Arya made headlines in the Delhi Premier League by hitting six sixes in an over during his knock of 120 runs off 50 balls. Ashwani Kumar bowled six yorkers in an over in the Sher E Punjab T20 Trophy in 2024. 

Such performances helped both players secure spots in the auction, leading to notable achievements—Arya scored the third-fastest IPL century by an Indian, while Ashwani became the first Indian man in IPL history to take more than three wickets on his debut.

"The only thing I want to see this season in the Bengal Pro T20 League is big sixes and bigger scores. More scores in the range of 180-200, or even greater, will challenge the batters to aim for large hits during chases, while also providing opportunities for bowlers to excel in demanding conditions," Goswami stated. 

"However, given all the I.P.L. matches and club games throughout the season, it may be challenging to secure batting-friendly pitches. Nevertheless, I am confident that the C.A.B. will make an effort to prepare batting-friendly wickets this season," he added.

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

"Batters need to do more open nets"

To achieve high scores and experience impactful performances, Bengal's highest run scorer of Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy feels that batters need to adopt a more fearless approach. As one of Bengal's greatest white-ball batters, he advises players to engage in open net sessions to enhance their hitting skills. 

"I would recommend that young batters spend more time in open nets. See if you can clear the boundaries or not. Aim to hit 100 sixes every day from the centre of the ground. This will help them understand their abilities and better prepare for matches," Goswami shared.

Using the example of a talented 14-year-old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Shreevats noted, "Look at someone like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Even at such a young age, his hitting ability rivals that of anyone in the I.P.L. How does he achieve that? First, he has a fearless mindset, and second, he practices hitting big sixes."

"Developing the habit of hitting sixes is essential for success in leagues like the Bengal Pro T20 League."

Read Also | Exclusive: "Do not call him a 'baccha', he will play T20s for India in two years," says Bihar head coach after Vaibhav Suryavanshi's historical IPL ton

"More T20-specific practice is needed"

The last time Bengal won a white-ball tournament was in 2012 when they lifted the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with Shreevats as the opener for the team. Since then, they have struggled to achieve similar success in white-ball cricket. While they have reached a few finals in red-ball formats, their white-ball accomplishments have been elusive.

Read Also | Where Are They Now: Last Time Bengal Men's Cricket Team Won A Trophy

Shreevats believes that to thrive in the white-ball format or T20 cricket, players must engage in more T20-specific practices. Additionally, he feels that academies should provide grounds that allow for more open net sessions. 

"It is quite basic. Batters need to participate in more T20-focused practices. For that, access to open nets at training academies would greatly benefit the players."

But how can Bengal cultivate stars like Vaibhav?

Shreevats, who became a cricketing star even before turning 18, believes that to cultivate more white-ball talents at a young age, guardians need to place greater trust in coaches and allow them to develop the children. Additionally, coaches should engage with the kids to understand their aspirations and then guide them accordingly.

“To develop any cricketer, guardians need to have more confidence in the coach's abilities, and coaches should ask the kids what they want to achieve. After understanding their goals, coaches can guide them in the right direction,” Goswami shared.

India won by 23 runs in their second encounter with South Africa in Tri-Nation ODI Series 2025. With a spectacular century from Jemimah Rodrigues and two half centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, India posted a huge total of 337 runs, batting first.

They comfortably defended their total in the second innings, restricting South Africa to only 314 runs with a fall of 7 wickets. Amanjot Kaur played a key role in India's bowling attack by taking crucial wickets that helped in collapsing South Africa’s top-order.

India's batting supremacy in the first innings

India lost the toss and were put to bat first, which did not seem to bother them, as the batters completely owned the first inning. Their batting line-up dominated the entire inning till the very last ball. Even though Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol did not have any luck with the bat today, Smriti Mandhana, on the other hand, gave a steady start to the team.

The queen of consistency, Smriti, scored a much-needed 51 off 63 balls, accompanied by a stunning cameo from Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored 28 runs from 20 balls. The real game changer was Jemimah Rodrigues and her spectacular knock of 123 from 101 balls which led the foundation for India towards a defendable total.

Then came another sensational knock from Deepti Sharma, who scored a classy 93 runs (from 84 balls) and played beautifully till the last over.

A series of powerful batting performances, with blazing boundaries and a solid start led India to this commendable total of 337 runs, which nearly seemed impossible after the fall of early wickets.

Read Also: Most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs: Jemimah scores her second WODI ton

Amanjot Kaur shines in India's bowling effort

India made two changes ahead of the game, by handing debut to the left arm spinner, Shuchi Upadhyay, and bringing back Amanjot Kaur in the playing XI. The changes were in the favour of India, especially with Amanjot Kaur’s three-wicket haul.

Kaur picked up three crucial wickets by dismissing the opening pair with an economy less than 7. The early breakthrough was important as Lara Goodall and Tazmin Brits are the key batters and their partnership build-up could have been a trouble for India in the later stage. She also took the game-changer wicket of Annerie Dercksen in the 46th over, who was explosively taking the asking rate down with her batting.

Other players like Deepti Sharma picked 2 major wickets by bowling a tight line and length, and restricting the run-flow. Sree Charani and Pratika Rawal also took a wicket each.

South Africa’s chase in a must-win scenario

South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, did not play in today's match, and as a result, Chloe Tryon was handed the captaincy. SA failed to hold momentum in the game, despite great efforts from Annerie Dercksen, who scored 81 runs off 80 balls.

Even though they managed to take up 9 wickets in the first innings, the bowling unit was overall expensive today. Having a target of 338 runs on board required a good start in the second innings which completely fell short. The fall of early wickets led to top-order collapse, causing difficulties in building long-term partnerships.

The 72-runs partnership between Dercksen and Chloe Tryon, and the 67 runs (from 43 balls) knock from the skipper kept them alive in the game, but Indian bowlers sealed the victory towards the end.

Read Also: ICC Anounces Venue and Key Dates for The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 England

India seals final spot after today's victory, South Africa’s journey ends

India secured their place in the Tri-Nation ODI series final with 3 wins out of 4 matches (6 points total). They will face Sri Lanka in the finals on 11th May, 2025, at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

As for South Africa, another loss today led them to zero points after 3 matches. They will face Sri Lanka in their last match of this series, and winning that will get them to a maximum of 2 points. Therefore, today's match result confirmed South Africa’s Tri-series exit.

Score Summary

IND-W: 337/9 (50) | Jemimah Rodrigues 123; N. de Klerk 9-54-2

SA-W: 314/7 (50) | Annerie Dercksen 81; Amanjot Kaur 9-59-3

Player of the match: Jemimah Rodrigues 

Ravi Kumar, the star of the ICC U-19 World Cup 2022 victory for India, has so far played only 5 T20 games for Bengal. Whereas other players from that 2022 batch have gone on to play for their states, IPL teams or even India A, Ravi was not even tried in the first-class arena by the Bengal team management. 

Do you know that Ravi missed the IPL 2022 Auction because he had not featured for Bengal in any senior game before the auction? 

Read more about that - IPL 2022 Mega Auction: 8 U19 Players ineligible for the auction, here's the reason

Despite taking 45 wickets last season for Bhowanipur Club, the most by any pacer in C.A.B. First Division Cricket, Ravi was heartbroken not to get a first-class cap for Bengal. Not only that, he was also part of the team which won every single possible trophy in the Kolkata Club Cricket last season. 

After another stunning performance, on one of the flattest pitches of the season, where more than 700 runs were scored, Sportz Point sat with Ravi Kumar for an exclusive interview.

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"Performing well on flat pitches gives you added confidence"

Ravi showed his skill and class in the Kalighat vs Bhowanipur C.A.B. First Division League semi-final with a 4-wicket haul that helped Bhowanipur enter the final for consecutive seasons. On a pitch where getting a dot ball was tough, Ravi made sure he stuck to his strength of bowling good length to take wickets. 

"It gives you added confidence when you do well on those kinds of pitches. It was flat. So, I had to be patient with my line and length to achieve success. Getting the first wicket in the first over itself was an advantage as well," Ravi told Sportz Point. 

"Whenever you have more than 500 or 600 on the board, you get that extra cushion as a bowling unit. But, when you have someone like Anustup Majumdar in the opponent lineup, you need to be accurate with every ball," the 21-year-old pacer added.

Read Also | Exclusive: Bowls like Malinga, once doubted by her family, Nadia's Sonali Das is set for Bengal Pro T20 League dreams after 8-wicket haul in School Cricket

Length and discipline = Success

This was not the first time Ravi got wickets and success in the hot Kolkata weather in a pressure game. He has been doing this for the past few seasons. What has been his secret to bowling well on pitches where there is less support for the bowlers?

For Ravi, it is his length and discipline.

"You need to be disciplined on a wicket like this. In this hot weather, you need to make sure you are not wasting your energy on bad balls. Hitting the lengths and not giving away anything is the only way you can get success on this kind of wicket," Ravi shared.

Ravi's ability to hit a length from both over and around the wicket has given him lots of success in the last two seasons. In fact, in a champion team like Bhowanipur, he has been their go-to man whenever they are in trouble. And, Ravi loves the responsibility of doing well in a crunch situation for his team.

"I am fortunate that the team looks at me whenever they need something to happen. Luckily, I have also delivered in those crunch situations for the team," the left-arm pacer stated.

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

45 wickets but yet no call from selectors

Last season, Bhowanipur won the treble of Kolkata Club Cricket by winning the League, ODI and T20 Championship. Ravi Kumar was one of their standout performers in that extraordinary season. Ravi returned with 45 wickets, the most among the pacers in the Kolkata first division. 

Though he was hoping for his ultimate goal of playing first-class after the end of a great season, Ravi was heartbroken not to see him on that Bengal squad for the Ranji Trophy. 

"I was heartbroken. I took 45 wickets last season and hoped to get into the Ranji Trophy team. But, do not know why I was not given a chance. But, that has made me stronger in mind that I have to keep doing well to earn that cap," Ravi expressed.

Read Also | Bengal Cricket Exclusive: "If 100 does not work, I will score 150," Sandipan Das doesn't want to leave any stone unturned

That ankle injury and the toughest phase of Ravi's career so far

Meanwhile, Ravi also suffered a career-threatening ankle injury and then returned to action stronger than ever. Post recovering from his injury, Ravi did not miss a single game for U-23 Bengal and even prioritised club games more than a few IPL trials to get his chance to play for senior Bengal. 

However, the young pacer was hurt to see the lack of support from everyone during his toughest time. 

"Injuries are the toughest time for any bowler. It was a tough period for me. Sadly, I did not get the support I was looking for during that time. But, I came back stronger and played all the games at the U-23 level and club level," Ravi said.

Read Also | Where Are They Now: Last Time Bengal Men's Cricket Team Won A Trophy

"I know my body better now"

But Ravi has moved on without resentment from those sad times and is only looking to focus on his process as an athlete. 

"Post the injury, I have known my body better. I now know the amount of workload my body can take. I am working on my skills every day, and  I am sure I will be able to impress the selectors with more crucial performances," Ravi stated. 

Ravi will be eyeing his back-to-back C.A.B. First-Division League title for Bhowanipur in the final against East Bengal.