New Delhi: Smriti Mandhana produced a spectacular batting display against Hong Kong in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, smashing a record breaking 124 off just 64 balls.
Her explosive innings helped India Women post 193/5 in their Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Despite rewriting several records during her sensational knock, Mandhana revealed that she was unaware of the milestones she had achieved until after the innings.
“I didn’t know all of this happened,” Mandhana said, while crediting Hong Kong’s bowlers for maintaining discipline during the powerplay.
The Indian opener admitted that facing slower bowlers can be challenging but praised Hong Kong for their accuracy and intensity. She also highlighted the energy shown by the opposition, saying it was something other teams could learn from.
Mandhana explained that the pitch offered some low bounce during the early overs, making strokeplay slightly difficult. However, once she settled at the crease, she found it easier to judge the length and play her shots more freely.
The century took Mandhana to 18 hundreds in women’s international cricket, moving her ahead of former Australia captain Meg Lanning, who had 17 international centuries.
She also achieved another major milestone by becoming the highest run scorer in women’s international cricket. Mandhana moved to 10,880 career runs, surpassing former India captain Mithali Raj’s tally of 10,868.
Mandhana also created history in T20 internationals by becoming the first Indian woman to score two centuries in the format.
Her latest hundred moved her past India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, making the Asia Cup innings one of the most significant performances of her international career.
While reflecting on the match, Mandhana continued to praise Hong Kong’s effort and described the occasion as memorable for a team facing India for the first time.