India vs New Zealand Women's 3rd T20I: Smriti Mandhana led again the Indian batting against New Zealand.
India vs New Zealand Women's 3rd T20I: Smriti Mandhana played another superb innings as she hit 86 runs off just 62 balls against New Zealand in the third and final Women's T20I match. This was Smriti Mandhana's highest score in T20I cricket overtaking her 83 against Australia in 2018. She was unlucky to miss out on a century as she was caught off Sophie Devine's bowling by Lea Tahuhu.
Twitter was full of applause for Mandhana's innings with some thanking her 'making their Sunday better'.
Can we pick Smriti Mandhana for the men’s team for the WC, please
— Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) February 10, 2019
Sunday could not get any better #SmritiMandhana @mandhana_smriti pic.twitter.com/1BUz83fb3r
— Shivam Maheshwari (@ShivamM76615996) February 10, 2019
This is #NZWvINDW
— Garima Singh (@trueindiangari) February 10, 2019
or#NZWvSMRITIMANDHANA
Great player she is @mandhana_smriti
.@mandhana_smriti can pretty much bat blindfolded at this point. #NZWvINDW
— Tareque Laskar (@tarequelaskar) February 10, 2019
The govt should rope in Smriti Mandhana and launch a campaign
— abhishek chaudhary (@abhi1592) February 10, 2019
Beti Bachao. Beti Khelao!#NZWvINDW
The most beautiful thing in cricket at this time in any level is the batting of @mandhana_smriti.
— Parth Narodiya (@imPnarodiya) February 10, 2019
What what what a player she is. #NZWvINDW
However, despite her heroics, India lost the match as the White Ferns completed a 3-0 clean sweep. It was another thriller that went down to last ball. India fought till the end but just couldn't get over the line. With 4 needed off the last ball, Mithali Raj was unable to get more than a single as India lost the match by 2 runs.
1. Smriti Mandhana in super form
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Smriti Mandhana had smashed a 58-run knock off 34 balls in the opening T20 International on Wednesday. Mandhana smacked the fifty in just 24 deliveries to record the fastest half century in the shortest format by an Indian woman. This was Mandhana's seventh T20I fifty. She added 36 runs in the second T20I. (Image: AFP)
2. Smriti Mandhana's great New Zealand tour
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Smriti Mandhana has been in top form all through the New Zealand tour. Mandhana scored 195 runs in the three ODIs against New Zealand and ended up as the top scorer. Mandhana brought that ODI form in the short format of cricket and steered India in the chase in Wellington in the first T20I after the fall of the first wicket. (Image: AFP)
3. Smriti Mandhana: Women's cricketer of the year
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Smriti Mandhana was declared the ICC Women's cricketer of the year for 2018. He bagged the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award as well as Women’s ODI cricketer of the year award. The 22-year-old was also been named in the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year and the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year. (Image: BCCI)
4. More power to Mandhana
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Smriti Mandhana had also played a crucial role in India's campaign at the World T20, scoring 178 runs in five matches at a strike-rate of 125.35. (Image: Twitter)
