The New Millennium in the history of cricket.
The discussion of who the all-time greatest women cricketer of all time has been has frequently been dominated by such an iconic figure of Meg Lanning, Mithali Raj and Charlotte Edwards. Nevertheless, the latest adventures of Smriti Mandhana at the end of 2025 have changed the discussion in favor of her. The Indian opener who has been so stylish has not only equalled the statistical giants of the game but has done so in an elegance quite equal in the modern sense.
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Mandhana has broken the record of the most centuries in all formats, a record that has been held by one of the greatest Australian legends, Meg Lanning, by scoring her 17th international century. This is a landmark that has crowned a career that has been characterized by consistency and spectacular stroke play. Over the years, the record of Lanning has appeared unbeatable and this is a tribute to the supremacy of the Australian over a decade. Mandhana can do this playing as an opener in diverse conditions which is a testament to her technical excellence and psychological strength.
https://www.olympics.com/en/news/women-odi-cricket-world-cup-2025-india-vs-new-zealand-match-report
This accomplishment is further enhanced by the fact that these figures are acquired by her in a very short period of time within the past two years. When most batters decelerate as they hit milestones, Mandhana has increased pace and has registered 5 ODI centuries in the calendar year 2025 alone. This craving of large scores has changed the Indian batting team to become a world force. She has established herself as not only a part of the history books but the main author to this new chapter of the history of women in the field of cricket.
The real difference in her in this greatest of all time discussion is the weight of expectation she has each time she steps out in order to bat. Most of the time, Mandhana is the sole pillar in the top position like the Australian teams of the past used to be deep in every position. It is even more remarkable her success considering that she had to endure this pressure and turn it into record-breaking performances. The 17 th century was not merely a figure, it was a statement that the baton of greatness has now been handed over to the Indian vice-captain.
Breaking Thirty-Year Records.
The big step she has broken will perhaps make the year 2025 be known as the Year of Mandhana. Among the greatest achievements was the fact that it surpassed the record of the most ODI runs in a single calendar year of Belinda Clark who was 28 years in 2010. The 970 runs of Clark which were a record way back in 1997 had stood the test of time and were able to resist generations of cricketer. Mandhana did not merely break it, she smashed it with a record of exceeding the 1000 run mark in ODIs in the year, without anyone having done so before.
The consistent nature in this particular record is not common in the unpredictable nature of limited-overs cricket. One needs incredible concentration and physical fitness to average around 60 in terms of calories burnt in one calendar year. Her history of scoring runs included centuries against the best teams such as Australia, South Africa, and England, and it goes without saying that Mandhana aims at scoring at the most crucial moments. It was not just about piling up of runs against inferior bowling; it was about taking charge of the most effective bowling attacks in the world.
In 2025, she was also able to match the record of the highest number of ODI centuries in a calendar year with five tons, also suitably placed alongside South Africa’s Tazmin Brits. This is the same consistency in turning the starts into three figure scores which is the trait of an all-time great. It used to be part of the criticism of Indian batters to fail to get out in the 60s and 70s, however, Mandhana has addressed this weakness with a single swinging strike. The conversion rate of her has improved enormously and she is the most valued wicket to any opposition captain.
The way she made these records had as much significance as the figures did. Mandhana is the man who introduces a visual pleasure to the crease, which so few others have, a union of classical impetus and modern force-hitting. When she exceeded the count of Clark she did so at a much higher rate of strike than her forerunners. This change of a touch player to a strong aggressor has changed the things that could be done by an opening batter in women cricket.
https://www.gktoday.in/shafali-verma-stuns-world-becomes-youngest-ever-to-50-in-world-cup-final/
Mastery Across Every Format
Her ODI career frequently gains the press attention but Mandhana cement her argument as the best by her all-format expertise. Recently, she has been ranked first Indian woman and second player in the world to surpass the 4000-run milestone in T20 Internation matches. Her inclusion in this exclusive club of New Zealand alongside Suzie Bates demonstrates that she is long-lasting and versatile in the shortest form of the game. T20 is a game that requires instant innovation and Mandhana has fit her game perfectly into the high-paced requirements.
It is not just white-ball cricket at which she has excelled but also she has demonstrated her ability in the ultimate test of character; Test cricket. A century in foreign circumstances, that is, in Australia, is the silver standard of any batter. The day-night match between Mandhana and Australia is one of the best innings of the Indian woman. It also showed that she was capable of abandoning the ball, building an innings at her own pace, and change gears where needed, which is easily forgotten in the T20 age.
Her versatility is not commonplace since the skills she needs to excel in T20 and Test cricket are at times conflicting. But Mandhana flickers between them, alternating with the same facility, and keeping her learn technique but changing her tempo. Her destructive power is demonstrated by the fact that she has the fastest ODI century by an Indian with a record of only 63 balls against Australia. Simultaneously, she is capable of hitting out in a Test match to rescue a match to her nation.
This versatility makes her superior to most legends, who only excelled in a single or two formats. At the same time as some greats were pure Test batters and others T20 experts, Mandhana is a conqueror of all grounds. She is the all-inclusive batttuta that dream captains have who can anchor a chase or provide an enormous target. She has comparable figures in the three formats that show a cohesive image of excellence that cannot be matched now in the women game.
