Women's WC: Mandhana set to join Mithali on this list
What's the story
As India gear up to face Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC Women's World Cup, all eyes are on opener Smriti Mandhana. The team has never won an ICC Women's trophy and needs to beat Australia to keep their hopes alive. Notably, Mandhana boasts a strong record against the Aussies in ODIs. The semi-final game on October 30 could see the southpaw join her former Indian teammate and legend Mithali Raj in an elite list. Here are further details.
Mandhana vs Australia
Mandhana has 996 runs against Australia
Albeit in a losing cause, Mandhana scored a fiery 66-ball 80 when India and Australia met in the league stage of the ongoing event. Having played 20 WODIs against the Aussies, Mandhana has smashed 996 runs at an average of 49.80. She is just four runs away from becoming just the second Indian batter to complete 1,000 WODI runs against the Women in Yellow. As per ESPNcricinfo, Mandhana will join Mithali, who has 1,123 runs in this regard.
Tons
Most tons against the Aussies
Mandhana has 10 50-plus scores against the Aussies, including four tons. No other batter has more hundreds against the Women in Yellow in this format. Mandhana's 50-ball century versus Australia in Delhi last month was the second-fastest in WODI history. The second-fastest WODI ton against the Aussies also belongs to Mandhana. She hammered a 77-ball ton in Mullanpur last month. Notably, both these knocks came in successive games.
Performance review
Poor track record in knockout matches
Though Mandhana has been in phenomenal form lately, her poor track record in knockout matches could be a major concern for the Indian side. Despite being a top performer in the league phases, Mandhana has struggled in the semi-finals and finals of World Cup matches across formats. Her scores in the 2017 WODI WC semi-final and final read 6 and 0, respectively. She has played three knock-out games in T20 WC with his scores reading 34, 11, and 2.
career
Stellar numbers in 2025
Earlier in the ongoing tourney, Mandhana became the first-ever batter to complete 1,000 WODI runs in a calendar year. She now owns 1,293 runs this year from 21 matches at 64.65. This includes five centuries as well. Overall, Mandhana has raced to 5,253 runs from 115 WODI matches at 48.63 (50s: 34). She also boasts the 2nd-most hundreds in Women's ODIs (14). With 365 runs at 60.83, Mandhana finished the league stage of the ongoing tourney as the highest run-getter.