Dubai, September 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said her love for batting helped drive her record-breaking performance against Hong Kong-China in the Women’s Asia Cup, adding that she was delighted to make a significant contribution to her team’s innings.
Mandhana smashed 124 off 64 balls to power India to 193/5, producing a series of records in the process. Her innings took her past former India captain Mithali Raj’s tally of 10,868 runs to make her the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket.
The left-handed opener also registered her 18th international century, moving ahead of Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt for the most centuries across formats in women’s cricket.
Mandhana became the first Indian woman to score multiple T20I centuries and also recorded the highest individual T20I score by an Indian woman. Her 124 is additionally the highest individual score in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history, surpassing Chamari Athapaththu’s unbeaten 119 against Malaysia in 2024.
“I didn’t know all of this happened. It’s really hard for me to play slower bowlers, but credit to them. They were really disciplined in the powerplay. They bowled pretty well, and the kind of energy they showed was something which we all can learn from. Having said that, I just love batting, and I’m happy that I could contribute,” Mandhana told broadcasters during the mid-innings break.
On a sluggish Dubai pitch offering limited pace, Mandhana relied on sharp movement in the crease, precise backfoot play and innovative stroke-making to maintain momentum while her teammates collectively contributed 62 runs from 56 deliveries.
Reflecting on her approach, Mandhana said batting could be unpredictable and that her focus was simply on watching the ball carefully against an unfamiliar bowling attack.
“There are days where you hit balls from the stumps as well. There are days where you don’t, and there are days where you edge one from the fourth or fifth stump. Batting is extremely unpredictable. Some days are good days,” she said.
Mandhana added that the pitch was slightly challenging early on but became easier to bat on after she adjusted to the conditions.
“It did keep a little low in the powerplay. I think once you’ve got your eyes set, it was a little easier to pick up length and just go under the ball a little more,” she said, while also praising Hong Kong-China for their disciplined bowling and energy.
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