In T20 Women Cricket,India Defeats England

Smriti Mandhana’s elegant first T20 International century highlighted India’s easy 97-run victory against England in the opening game here on Saturday (June 29, 2025).

Mandhana scored 112 off 62 balls, and Harleen Deol contributed 43 from 23 balls, together putting on 94 runs for the second wicket. This helped India set a strong total of 210.

Skipper Nat Sciver Brunt scored 66 runs off 42 balls, putting up a valiant effort for England, who were bowled out for just 113 runs in 14.5 overs by the impressive Indian bowlers.

For India, debutant left-arm spinner Shree Charani was the standout performer with figures of 4 wickets for 12 runs, as England struggled after losing half their team within the first 10 overs, ending up with a score below 100.

Mandhana, who captained the team in the absence of the injured regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur, shone brightly with an innings that showcased her style, aggression, and skill in playing shots across the field.

She kicked off the Indian innings with some early momentum, scoring 77 runs alongside a struggling Shafali Varma (20, 22 balls), whose comeback to top-level cricket after an eight-month break was pretty disappointing.

Mandhana was the standout player in that partnership, which lasted just 8.3 overs.

Even after Shafali got out, Mandhana kept going strong, adding another 94 runs for the second wicket with a similarly aggressive Harleen, who was let off the hook on 26 by Danny Wyatt-Hodge off off-spinner Alice Capsey near mid-wicket.

Mandhana didn’t let England have any opportunities, kicking things off with three boundaries against left-arm spinner Linsey Smith in the fourth over, and she barely eased up on the gas.

Later on, she also took down another left-arm spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, hitting two sixes in the seventh over as the Indian innings rolled on.

Mandhana reached her fifty in just 27 balls, and the next fifty came even quicker, off only 24 balls.

Mandhana quickly surpassed her previous T20I best of 87, reaching the three-figure mark for the first time in her career, which includes 30 fifties.

She celebrated this significant achievement in style, smashing pacer Lauren Bell for two back-to-back boundaries.

Her innings is now the highest for India in T20Is, surpassing Harmanpreet’s 103.

On the flip side, Deol leaned heavily on sweeps to score boundaries, capitalizing on the English bowlers’ general lack of direction until she was out to Bell, who turned out to be England’s top bowler with figures of 3/27. Mandhana eventually fell to Ecclestone.

England attempted a late rally as Bell took out Richa Ghosh (12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (0) in the 18th over, but by that time, India was already nearing the 200-run milestone.

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