Smriti Mandhana Breaks Virat Kohli’s Record with Fastest Indian ODI Century

Delhi, Sept 2025 : Indian women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana etched her name into the history books with a blistering 100 off just 50 balls in the third ODI against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. With this knock, Mandhana surpassed Virat Kohli’s record of a 52-ball century, becoming the fastest Indian—across both men’s and women’s cricket—to score a hundred in ODIs.

The landmark moment arrived in the 18th over of India’s innings. Facing Australian leg-spinner Alana King, Mandhana went down on one knee to a well-flighted delivery and smashed it over the leg side for a massive six, bringing up her record-breaking century. The innings not only electrified the crowd but also reinforced her stature as one of the most dangerous batters in world cricket.

Historic Milestone

Mandhana’s 50-ball ton is the joint-fastest century in ODI history across men’s and women’s cricket, and the second-fastest in women’s ODIs overall. The record for the fastest women’s ODI century still belongs to Meg Lanning, who achieved the feat in 45 balls.

The 29-year-old also became the first Indian woman to score back-to-back centuries in ODIs, underlining her consistency at the top of the order. Her dominance in the series had already been on display in the second ODI, where she scored a commanding 117 off 91 balls, guiding India to a memorable win against Australia.

Breaking Australia’s Stronghold

That victory in the second ODI was historic for multiple reasons. It was India’s first home ODI win against Australia since 2007 and also Australia’s heaviest defeat by runs in their ODI history. Mandhana’s knock in that game not only shifted momentum in the series but also showcased her ability to perform under pressure against the most successful side in women’s cricket.

Her century in the third ODI further cemented her place as one of the greatest ODI batters of her generation. According to the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings, Mandhana currently holds the top spot—a reflection of her form, skill, and consistency.

Praise from a Rival Legend

Australian cricket great and former captain Meg Lanning was full of admiration for Mandhana’s batting exploits. Speaking to the ICC Review, Lanning hailed Mandhana as a “world-class player” who consistently delivers in high-pressure situations.

“Smriti still has a lot of good cricket ahead of her. She’s already world-class and has been for a long time, especially in this format,” Lanning said. “She’s capable of big, match-winning scores and centuries—the kind of player you really worry about as an opposition.”

Lanning acknowledged that Australia had invested significant time in strategizing against Mandhana, particularly targeting her with spin options like Ashleigh Gardner. “She took up a lot of time in our planning meetings,” Lanning revealed. “Off-spin has been a good option against her, but she’s refined her game a lot, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to contain her.”

The Road Ahead

Mandhana’s record-breaking form is a promising sign for India as the team builds toward the Women’s World Cup in 2025. Her ability to dominate world-class bowling attacks not only strengthens India’s top order but also inspires confidence in the team’s ability to take on heavyweights like Australia.

Despite some lean patches in World Cup encounters against the Australians, Mandhana boasts an impressive record overall, having scored 791 runs in 18 matches against the seven-time world champions, including three centuries.

India and Australia are set to clash again in Visakhapatnam on October 12, a contest that promises to be one of the most thrilling encounters of the season. With Mandhana in peak form and records tumbling, fans will be eager to see if she can produce yet another match-winning performance.

Team Maverick.