5 Batters With Most Hundreds For India Women In ODIs

Smriti Mandhana celebrates her eighth ODI century. [Source: BCCI/X]

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has become the first female Indian cricketer to register eight centuries in ODI cricket. The left-handed batter achieved the feat during the recently concluded third ODI against New Zealand Women at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

The exact milestone moment happened on the penultimate delivery of the 40th over when a well-set Mandhana ran a single off Eden Carson to touch the three-figure mark.

Chasing a 233-run target in a series-decider on Tuesday, Mandhana scored 100 (122) with the help of 10 fours to not only surpass former captain Mithali Raj (7) in the list of most ODI hundreds for India Women but also laid the foundation of a clinical victory.

Below is a list of cricketers who have scored most centuries for India in Women's ODIs:

5) Jaya Sharma (2 centuries)

Former batter Jaya Sharma was only the second female Indian cricketer to have scored a century in ODI cricket.

While her first century had come against Pakistan during Women's Asia Cup 2005 in Karachi, she scored another one in a winning effort against Australia in 2007 in Chennai making her the first Indian women to score an ODI century at home. The left-handed batter could've achieved the milestone a few years before had she converted a couple of nervous 90s into hundreds.

5) Thirush Kamini (2 centuries)

Having made her ODI debut in 2006, Thirush Kamini needed more than six years to earn the distinction of an ODI centurion. Having scored 100* (146) against West Indies at the Brabourne Stadium, she scored 113* (146) against Ireland at the P Sara Oval four years later. Surprisingly, it ended up becoming her penultimate international outing.

4) Punam Raut (3 centuries)

A couple of commonalities between Kamini and Punam Raut is not scoring an ODI century in the first halves of their respective careers and scoring one in the last few matches.

Raut, who made her ODI debut in 2009, scored her first ODI ton eight years later. While her century against Ireland had come in Potchefstroom, her century against Australia in Bristol was registered in the same year. In spite of scoring a century against South Africa in her third-last ODI, she was overlooked for ICC Women's World Cup 2022.

Punam Raut during her third ODI ton. [Source: @cricbuzz/X]

3) Harmanpreet Kaur (6 centuries)

Four years after her ODI debut in 2009, current India captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored a couple of centuries in 2013. The right-handed batter, who consumed four more years to score another century in the format, played one of the most popular innings in Women's history during ICC Women's World Cup 2017 semi-final.

The next decade-and-a-half didn't see Kaur scoring another century but she followed it up with two such match-winning efforts in New Zealand and England. 

Harmanpreet Kaur is the only female Indian cricketer with more than two World Cup tons. [Source: @143NotOut/X]

2) Mithali Raj (7 centuries)

In what is remembered as a historic day in Indian cricket till date, former captain Mithali Raj, then 16, had kick-started her ODI career with a century on debut. Sixth instance of two batters scoring a century in the format, it was the first one featuring Indian cricketers.

Mithali Raj plays on the off-side. [Source: @ICC/X]

While form was never a cause of concern for the Indian legend, even she needed more than six years to achieve the milestone again. Raj, whose second ODI century had come in 2006, scored a third one in 2011.

Having completed an ODI hundred each in 2013 and 2014, Raj couldn't repeat the feat after 2018 - which was four years before her last international match.

1) Smriti Mandhana (8 centuries)

Coming of the back of a couple of failures, Mandhana replicated her ODI form from her last assignment against South Africa in June, when she had scored two consecutive centuries (including a career-best knock) before missing out on a third one by just 10 runs.

First Indian cricketer to have scored two consecutive ODI centuries, Mandhana was on the verge of becoming only the second cricketer to have scored three back-to-back tons in Women’s ODIs.

Been playing the format since 2013, Mandhana's first ODI century had come in 2016. While she scored a century each in 2017, 2018 and 2019, she waited for over three years before scoring her fifth ODI century in 2022.

Speaking of cricketers across the globe, Mandhana is currently at the joint-fifth position in the list of most hundreds in Women's ODIs.