Smriti Mandhana creates history by becoming first Indian woman to hit consecutive ODI hundreds

Indian women's cricket team's opening batsman Smriti Mandhana became the first batsman for the Indian women's cricket team to score two consecutive ODI centuries in the second ODI series against South Africa at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Also Read: India vs SA, 2nd WODI: Arundhati Reddy makes her ODI debut

First Indian woman to score two consecutive centuries

Smriti Mandhana batted amazingly in the second ODI match against South Africa. Mandhana smashed 136 runs in 120 balls. She hit 18 fours and two sixes in her innings. She has played her best innings in ODI cricket. Earlier, her best score in ODI cricket was 135 runs, which she scored against South Africa in 2018. 

In the last match, Mandhana had played an innings of 117 runs. After this, she became the first Indian woman player to score two consecutive centuries in ODI cricket. Before her, no Indian woman player had been able to score two consecutive centuries in ODI cricket. 

Mandhana equaled Mithali Raj's record

This is the 7th century of Smriti Mandhana's ODI career. With this, she has equaled Mithali Raj's record. Mithali has also scored 7 centuries in ODIs. Now Mandhana, along with veteran Mithali Raj, has become the player with the joint highest number of ODI centuries for India. Mandhana has scored 7 centuries for India in just 84 innings. Whereas Mithali had scored 7 centuries after playing 211 innings.

Mandhana has also left West Indies' Hayley Matthews behind in terms of centuries, who has scored 6 centuries in 84 ODIs.

Mandhana's second century on Indian soil 

This is also Smriti Mandhana's second century on Indian soil. She has scored more than 1,300 runs in 27 innings at an average of around 40. Apart from 2 centuries, she has also scored 10 half-centuries.

Before this series, all her 5 centuries had come on foreign soil. The batsman has scored 1,666 runs overseas at an average of 53.74 and 463 runs on neutral grounds.

Also Read: Women's Cricket Stats: Smriti Mandhana becomes fastest to 3000 T20I runs

Indian women players who scored most centuries in ODIs

1. Smriti Mandhana - 7 
2. Mithali Raj - 7
3. Harmanpreet Kaur - 6
4. Punam Raut - 3