India is scheduled to play its first match in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, 2025 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati on 30 September and this match may see a milestone, never achieved in women ODI cricket before. For that Smriti Mandhana shall have to continue her purple touch with the bat, which she exhibited fully while scoring 300 runs in 3 innings for India against Australia in the recent three match ODI series. Australia Women earned a 2-1 series win but this didn't come easily. Smriti Mandhana was single handedly responsible for this as she scored 58 (63) in the first ODI, 117 (91) in the second and 125 (63) in the third.
She set numerous records during these knocks, but a milestone overlooked by the statisticians is that Smriti Mandhana became only second to score 900+ runs in ODIs in a calendar year. This has taken her very near to a record, never achieved earlier by any woman cricketer. Guwahati ODI may see Smriti Mandhana to be the first cricketer to score 1000 runs in a calendar year in One Day International cricket. She needs only 72 runs more for this coveted record.
Last year also Smriti scored 747 runs in 13 ODI matches (instrumental in her winning the Wisden title for the Leading Cricketer of the Year) but remained short of the figure of 1000 runs.This year she has so far scored 928 runs in 14 matches at an average of 66.28 and a strike rate of 115.85, with four 100s and fortunately more ODIs are pipeline to be played. This makes her a strong contender to touch the 1000 ODI runs mark in a calendar year.
