Smriti Mandhana surpasses Mithali Raj in elite list after match winning 77-run knock against West Indies

The India women’s national cricket team secured a commanding 60-run victory over West Indies in the third T20I of the three-match series held at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. 

The Indian women’s team posted an impressive first innings score of 217/4, with skipper Smriti Mandhana leading the charge with a stellar innings of 77 runs from 47 balls, supported by Richa Ghosh who smashed 54 runs from just 21 balls. This victory sealed a 2-1 series win for the Indian women’s team, with Mandhana being named Player of the Series and Ghosh earning the Player of the Match award.

Smriti Mandhana also made history by surpassing former Indian captain Mithali Raj’s record, scoring a total of 193 runs in the three-match series against West Indies. This achievement marked the highest runs scored by an Indian women batter since February 2018 and set a new record for the most runs by an Indian batter in a women's T20I bilateral series, surpassing Mithali Raj's previous record of 192 runs from five matches against South Africa.

Despite a shaky start that saw opener Uma Chetry dismissed for a duck, the Indian women’s team rallied as Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues put on a solid 98-run partnership for the second wicket. Rodrigues contributed 39 runs from 28 balls, followed by a quick 31-run knock from Raghvi Bist. Richa Ghosh then stole the show with a rapid half-century, propelling the hosts to a formidable first innings total. In response, West Indies struggled to build momentum and lost wickets at regular intervals, ultimately falling short by a margin of 60 runs.

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