India opener Smriti Mandhana recorded her 94th fifty-plus score in international cricket during Sunday’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup final, surpassing Mithali Raj to establish a new milestone.
The left-hander anchored a record 129-run opening partnership alongside Shafali Verma at the Dubai International Stadium. While Verma unleashed an initial boundary barrage to strike a 24-ball half-century, Mandhana paced her 59 from 39 deliveries to complement her explosive partner.
India reached 183 for five after Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss. The captain told the Hindustan Times that “having a score on the board is always positive” as they set a target for the defending champions.
Adapting To The Anchor Role
Mandhana has transitioned from a pure stroke-maker into a reliable top-order presence. Her dismissal via a mix-up with Kaur triggered an immediate slowdown, highlighting her structural importance against an attack that utilised Chamari Athapaththu’s bowling evolution to drag back the scoring rate.
Gunalan Kamalini added a late cameo of 15 from five balls to ensure the innings finished strongly. The earlier 129-run stand broke the previous women’s T20I final record. Mandhana’s knock also pushed her past Suzie Bates’ haul of 4,758 runs, making her the leading run-scorer in women’s T20 internationals.
Sri Lanka must now chase the imposing total, whilst their men’s squad prepares for action in England after Charith Asalanka assumed the T20I captaincy this weekend.
