Mandhana shares how a chat with Radha inspired her to score maiden T20I century

Nottingham- After becoming the first Indian woman to score centuries across all three international formats with a stunning 112 off 62 balls in the series opener against England, Smriti Mandhana revealed that a conversation with teammate Radha Yadav motivated her to finally get her first T20I hundred at Trent Bridge.

"Three days ago, Radha and I were talking. These girls are tough on me sometimes," Smriti shared after the match. "Radha told me, ‘It’s high time you get a T20I hundred. You keep getting out in the 70s and 80s, you’re not doing justice to your talent.’ I told her, ‘Okay Radha, let’s see, I’ll try to get one in this series.’"

Mandhana’s century laid the foundation for India’s massive 97-run victory over England, giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. With this, Smriti became only the second Indian woman to score a T20I century, following Harmanpreet Kaur. She also joins the elite group of female cricketers—Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Laura Wolvaardt, and Beth Mooney—who have scored centuries in all three formats of international cricket.

After reaching her century off just 51 balls, Smriti’s radiant smile and thumbs-up gesture towards the dressing room was a clear acknowledgement of Radha’s words.

"I didn’t expect to get it in the very first match, but the thumbs up was for Radha—like, ‘See, I finally did it.’ It’s frustrating to keep getting out in the 70s and 80s over the years, especially when you have the chance to take the team through. I’m glad I could stay till the 19th-20th over and finish strong," she added.

Another standout performer in India’s dominant win was young left-arm spinner N Shree Charani, who claimed four wickets on her T20I debut.

"The way the bowlers executed their plans was outstanding. When they bowl like that, our job becomes much easier. Everyone stayed focused and stuck to the plans," Smriti said.

"Especially Shree—coming in for her first match and bowling like that. We saw glimpses of her talent in the WPL, but today she truly showed what she’s capable of, just like the rest of our bowlers," she concluded.

With inputs from IANS