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Cricket World Player of the Week - Smriti Mandhana

by Cricket World Tuesday 20 September 2022

©CWM

Opener Smriti Mandhana (91) struck her highest ODI score against England to take India to a comprehensive 7-wicket victory in the series opener.

Smriti Mandhana has struck some great form since the last ODI World Cup and is redefining consistency.

In the series opener between India and England, she struck a classy 91 off 99 deliveries, her 24th half century in the format and 7th against England. Mandhana hit 10 boundaries and one six before skying one one up against Kate Cross to be caught in the circle as she was denied a much-deserved century.

Mandhana, whose game is best suited to the ODIs, is very close to the 3000-run mark in the format and will most likely achieve that by the time this three-match ODI series against England ends.

She currently has an average of over 43 and a strike rate of almost 85 which is more or less perfect in women's ODI cricket. The batter has five ODI centuries and has been doing a terrific job for India with the bat in tandem with Shafali Verma at the top of the order as the duo has made it a habit of giving India brilliant starts.

Chasing a below par target of 228 at Hove, Smriti Mandhana made light work of the target despite the early dismissal of Shafali Verma. Her 99-run partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur all but sealed the fate of the game.

After having lost the T20 series by 2-1, it must have been pleasing for the Indian women's cricket team to start the new cycle of the ICC ODI Championship on a winning note.

Great start to the ODI series. Let's keep the momentum going. A total team effort. Great job @JhulanG10, @YastikaBhatia, @ImHarmanpreet and @Deepti_Sharma06. ??
Come on?#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/GRH9qmQnab
— Smriti Mandhana (@mandhana_smriti) September 19, 2022