Pakistan has defeated India only once in T20 Asia Cup
Dubai: India and Pakistan will face each other in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup here today (8:00 pm), and after breaking a series of records against Hong Kong on Thursday, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana now has an opportunity to surpass yet another world record held by Indian batting legend Mithali Raj.
In the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, India and Pakistan have played seven matches against each other, with Pakistan managing to win only once.
Smriti Has a Chance to Break Which Mithali Record?
Smriti broke two major world records in women’s cricket during Thursday’s match against Hong Kong in Dubai. She surpassed Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt’s record for the most international centuries and also overtook Mithali Raj’s record for the most international runs. Along with these milestones, she achieved several other feats.
Smriti now has the most international centuries in women’s cricket, with 18, while her international run tally has reached a record 10,080. Today, against Pakistan, Smriti can break another Mithali Raj record if she scores another fifty-plus knock.
Mithali Had Eight Centuries, Smriti Has 18
Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 43-year-old Mithali Raj enjoyed a magnificent 23-year career during which she recorded 93 scores of 50 or more. That tally included eight centuries. Mithali has since retired from international cricket.
Thirty-year-old Smriti Mandhana played several matches under Mithali Raj’s captaincy. Smriti has also recorded 93 scores of 50 or more, including 18 centuries. If Smriti completes a half-century today or in any of her upcoming matches, she will surpass Mithali Raj’s world record of 93 fifty-plus scores.
Smriti Is Closing in on a Century of Sixes
Smriti now has 95 sixes in T20 internationals. During her 124-run innings on Thursday, she smashed seven sixes along with 14 fours and broke Harmanpreet Kaur’s Indian record of 89 sixes.
Smriti now needs just five more sixes to become the fourth batter in women’s T20 internationals to hit 100 sixes. She could achieve the milestone in today’s match against Pakistan.
Among Indian women cricketers, Harmanpreet Kaur holds the record for the most sixes in a single innings, with eight. Smriti is now second with seven sixes.
Smriti scored 124 off 64 balls in Thursday’s match, the highest individual score in the history of the Asia Cup. She broke Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu’s previous record of 119.
Smriti is the first Indian woman to score two centuries in T20 internationals. She has surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur’s previous Indian record of one century.