After her sterling knock against New Zealand in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, Smriti Mandhana now has 17 hundreds across formats in international cricket, the equal-most by a woman alongside Australian bulwark Meg Lanning. Meanwhile, Pratika Rawal needed just 23 innings to complete 1000 international runs. She becomes the joint-quickest to the milestone in women’s ODIs, equaling the record that Lindsay Reeler set in 1988.
This was the third instance of both openers scoring hundreds in an innings at the Women’s World Cup. England’s Lynne Thomas and Enid Bakewell racked up hundreds against an International XI in 1973 and Australia’s Lindsay Reeler and Ruth Buckstein tonned up against Netherlands in 1988.
India’s top order clicked in unison to power the hosts into the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup semifinals. Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, both having started the tournament on a tepid note, hit sparkling centuries whereas Jemimah Rodrigues made a strong comeback to the team as the three combined to help India post their highest World Cup total. Once India had a gigantic 340/3 on the board, they virtually had one foot in the knockouts as New Zealand fell short of the target by 53 runs (DLS method).
It was a must-win game for New Zealand against the co-hosts, but they faltered in both halves. After electing to bowl, they managed to keep India’s openers on a leash initially but soon lost the plot. A DLS-adjusted target of 325 in 44 overs left them chasing the game from the outset. Despite half-centuries from Halliday and Gaze, they never quite matched up to the asking rate.
Reflecting on New Zealand’s early exit from the Women’s ODI World Cup, skipper Sophie Devine expressed her disappointment but was effusive in her praise for the younger players coming through.
“I don’t really want to think too much about it because I probably get quite emotional around it,” Devine said. “But the way those girls went out there today… I’m incredibly proud of where this team’s going. When you think about the likes of Izzy Gaze, Brooke Halliday, Melie Kerr, Eden Carson, the way that they’re starting to really grow into themselves, it certainly makes it easier when I do step away after the next game, not before.
“It is sort of [you feel] a bit like a proud mother, you have been involved in this side at New Zealand cricket for so long that you’re so invested. I’m going to go through a few different emotions over the next couple of days, but we’ll take time to reflect on that.”
