India’s Smriti Mandhana made history by scoring consecutive ODI centuries during the second match against South Africa at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Mandhana’s stellar performance saw her score 136 runs off 120 balls, leading India towards sealing the series after a dominant 143-run victory in the opener.
In the first game, Mandhana had already impressed with 117 off 127 balls, powering India to a total of 265 for eight. Continuing her form, she scored 136 in the second match, rescuing India from 100 for two in 23 overs.
Mandhana’s back-to-back centuries make her the first Indian woman to achieve this feat in ODIs and the second overall after Sandhya Agarwal’s consecutive Test centuries in 1986. She also matched Mithali Raj’s record of seven ODI centuries, ranking 10th in the all-time list, led by Australia’s Meg Lanning with 15 tons. Among openers, Mandhana is joint third behind New Zealand’s Suzie Bates (12) and England’s Tammy Beaumont and Charlotte Edwards (9).
This innings marked Mandhana’s highest ODI score, surpassing her previous best of 135 against South Africa in 2018. It stands as the fourth-highest individual score by an Indian woman in ODIs and the third-highest by an opener.
The series is part of the 2022-2025 ICC Women’s Championship cycle, crucial for 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup qualification. India, already qualified as hosts, will play the final ODI on June 23 in Bengaluru, followed by a Test match in Chennai and a three-game T20I series.
