Smriti Mandhana scores fastest fifty for India in women’s T20 cricket

Smriti Mandhana on Sunday slammed the fastest fifty by an Indian player in women’s T20I cricket. Opening the innings against England in the third match of the ongoing women’s T20 tri-series at Brabourne Stadium, Smriti went on the attack from the word go and reached her half-century in 25 balls to better her own 30-ball 50 record she had set a few days ago against Australia.

The overall record for the fastest fifty in women’s T20Is belongs to Sophie Devine (18 balls) of New Zealand.

The 21-year-old Mandhana went on to score 76 off 40 balls on Sunday and helped India post 198/4 against England. She hit 12 fours and two sixes during her knock.

She had started her innings cautiously and scored only four runs off first seven balls before shifting gear in the third over of the innings hitting two fours and one six in a span of four balls. She kept on punishing the visitors from here on in the company of experienced Mithali Raj who also scored a fifty.

Meanwhile, Danielle Wyatt became the second player in history to score two hundreds in Women’s T20Is with her 52-ball hundred as England successfully chased down India’s total with seven wickets to spare.

Prior to Wyatt, only West Indian player Deandra Dottin had scored two centuries in women’s T-20 matches.

Overall, this was the seventh instance of a player scoring a ton in women’s T20Is.