Women's T20 WC: Smriti Mandhana smokes half-century against Sri Lanka
What's the story
Indian women's cricket team's seasoned opener Smriti Mandhana put on a fine show in Match 12 of the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka in Dubai. She scored exactly 50 off just 38 balls, hitting four boundaries and a maximum in her innings. This was her maiden fifty of the ongoing edition and fourth overall in T20 WC.
Opening partnership
Mandhana's opening partnership sets stage for India's total
In the crucial match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Mandhana and Shafali Verma (43) gave India a solid start with a 98-run opening stand. Mandhana completed her half-century in just 36 balls but was dismissed right after. Nevertheless, Mandhana and Verma recorded India's third-highest partnership in the competition's history. Verma was unfortunate to miss out on a fifty.
Career stats
27th fifty for Mandhana
Mandhana has now raced to 3,562 runs in 144 WT20I matches at an average of 28.72 and a strike rate of 122.06, as per ESPNcricinfo. She has scored 27 half-centuries in her WT20I career, with only New Zealand's Suzie Bates (4,481) scoring more runs than her in this format. In the women's T20 WC, she now owns 518 runs at 22.52 (50s: 4).
Record performance
Mandhana's record against Sri Lanka
This is Mandhana's third half-century against the Sri Lankan team in WT20Is. She has now scored a total of 429 runs in 21 matches against them at an average of 23.83. Notably, Mandhana couldn't do much in India's first two matches in the ongoing season as she recorded scores worth 7 and 12.