India’s stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana delivered a historic performance against England, smashing her maiden T20I century—a blistering 112 off 62 balls—to lead her team to a commanding 97-run victory in the series opener at Trent Bridge. But it was not just the record-breaking knock that caught attention; Mandhana’s celebration after reaching the milestone was equally memorable, as she pointed emphatically towards the dressing room. The reason, as Mandhana explained, was rooted in a playful yet motivating challenge from teammate Radha Yadav.
Radha Yadav’s challenge for Smriti Mandhana
Mandhana recounted in the post-match press conference that just three days prior, Radha Yadav had teased her about repeatedly missing out on T20I centuries. “She was telling me, ‘It’s high time you get a century in T20Is, you keep getting out in the 70s, 80s and you are not doing justice to your talent and all of that stuff.’ I was like, ‘Okay, Radha, I’ll see now, this time I’ll try and get it in one of the matches in the series,’” Mandhana revealed.
When Mandhana finally reached the elusive three-figure mark, her first in 149 T20I appearances, she celebrated by pointing her finger towards Radha in the dressing room. “I did not think that it would come in the first match, but the finger was towards her—‘see, I got it today’,” Mandhana said, highlighting the camaraderie and light-hearted banter that spurred her on.
A landmark century for Mandhana
Mandhana also reflected on the personal significance of the achievement, admitting that T20 cricket is not her most natural format. “It’s a nice feeling because this format is something which, for me as a batter, I need to keep pushing and keep improving. It’s not a very natural format for me,” she explained, adding that she has been working hard on her power hitting to adapt to the demands of the shortest format.
Her century not only powered India to their highest T20I total against England but also made Mandhana the first Indian woman to score centuries in all three formats of international cricket, joining an elite group of players.
Also READ: 5 women cricketers to score centuries across all formats ft. Smriti Mandhana
