Knocksense Unwind| Smriti Mandhana ups the ante; becomes 3rd fastest Indian to score 3,000 ODI runs

Indian star opener Smriti Mandhana yet again proves to be on a classical hitting spree with a remarkable knock of 41 off 55 balls in the second ODI against England on September 21 in Canterbury. During the match, Mandhana also reached the astonishing feat of completing 3,000 ODI runs in just 76 innings. 

With this, Mandhana became 'The Fastest Indian' women cricketer to reach the landmark, surpassing cricketing legend Mithali Raj (88 innings) and current skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.

Recently, Smriti Mandhana was also conferred with the title of ICC 100% Superstar player, which is truly justified by her performance and class apart technique. Moving up the ladder, Mandhana now stands at number three after Shikhar Dhawan (72 innings) and Virat Kohli (75 innings) in the list of fastest Indians to score 3000 ODI runs and after Belinda Clark (62 innings) and Meg Lanning (64 innings) in the list of faster women cricketers to reach the landmark.

Mandhana's contribution to Indian Women's cricket remains unparalleled with five centuries and 24 fifties in the ODIs. Her excellent game plan and strategies have guided India towards victory several times. For instance, her crucial knock of 91 off 99 balls against England during the first ODI in Hove on Sunday guided India towards a seven-wicket win.

A total of 22 women cricketers have so far scored over 3,000 ODI runs, but only two have got to the landmark quicker than Mandhana. Setting the bar high, Mandhana ranks 2nd in the T20 rankings and 7th in the ODI ranking.

The ongoing series between India and England is the second series in the ICC Women's Championship cycle for India. The tournament decides qualification for the Women's Cricket World Cup in 2025.