Smriti Mandhana's Century Blitz: How She Powered India's World Cup Charge

Mandhana reached her 14th career century off 88 balls, hammering 10 fours and three sixes, putting up another batting masterclass in a match that India need to win to qualify for the semifinals.

Mandhana, who had scored five centuries and an equal number of half-centuries so far this season, is the first batter in Women's ODIs to score 1000 or more runs in a calendar year.

On Thursday, she started cautiously before exploding into action with an array of shots all around the ground, blasting the New Zealand bowlers with ease.

Mandhana also raised 212 runs for the first wicket partnership with Pratika Rawal, the highest opening partnership ever for India in women's ODIs.

This was their fourth 150-plus partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal in ODIs, joint-most by any pair, alongside Belinda Clark-Lisa Keightley and Suzie Bates-Amy Satterthwaite. This was their seventh century stand for the opening wicket, joint-most for an Indian pair.

Mandhana put up a brilliant display of stroke-play, cutting, driving and pulling with ease as she dominated the bowling. She struck New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine for two boundaries in an over and was quite severe on Amelia Kerr, hammering her for a four and six off successive balls in the 29th over. Two of her four sixes came off Amelia Kerr, while Jess Kerr and Eden Carson accounted for the third and fourth.

She was eventually out for 109 off 95 balls (10x4, 4x6), miscuing a slog-sweep to substitute fielder Hannah Rowe at midwicket off Suzie Bates, a tired-looking shot that the fielder grasped on second attempt.

During her sensational knock, Mandhana survived a scare, given lbw off Amelia Kerr in the 27th over when in the 70s, but the DRS saved her, showing that she had edged the ball into her pads.

Mandhana is the leading run-scorer in this calendar year, having amassed 1259 runs in 20 innings of 20 matches so far in 2025. She is also the leading run-scorer in the tournament (331 runs) with two half-centuries and a hundred.

- IANS