When India searches for a hero, they find Smriti Mandhana. Donning the same iconic No. 18 as Virat Kohli, she carries not just the legacy of a golden era on her shoulders, but the hopes of a nation starving for a World Cup crown. As vice-captain and the world’s top-ranked ODI batter, her role is as pivotal as any in modern cricket. And with the 2025 Women’s World Cup beginning tomorrow, India’s quest for a maiden ICC title rests almost entirely on her elegant, yet explosive, blade.The southpaw’s brilliance shone in the recent three-match ODI series against Australia, with scores of 58 off 63 and a match-winning 117 off 91, powering India to a historic 102-run victory in New Chandigarh — their first home ODI win over Australia since 2007. In the Delhi finale, she unleashed a record-breaking 125 off 63 balls — India’s fastest ODI century, second only to Meg Lanning’s 45-ball global mark — showcasing her signature cover drives and a blistering 198.41 strike rate. These knocks signal Smriti’s peak form as an opener.Her 2025 stats are phenomenal: 928 runs in 14 ODI innings at a 66.28 average, with four centuries and three fifties. Beyond the Australia heroics, she smashed a 80-ball 135 against Ireland and a 116 in the Tri-Series final versus Sri Lanka. Her fifty-to-century conversion rate reflects ruthless consistency. The 29-year-old opener is the fastest Indian woman to 4,000 ODI runs and has even surpassed Kohli’s record for India’s quickest ODI ton in 52 balls, taking only 50 deliveries to reach the milestone. The way 2025 has unfolded for the star India batter, along with home conditions that favour her aggressive game, the record books are on high alert this World Cup. She is poised to top Mithali Raj’s Indian single-edition record (178 runs, 2017) and chase Lanning’s 15 centuries — one more ties it, two rewrites history.Smriti’s evolution is a journey of grit and genius. From a 16-year-old debutant in 2013, all grace and glasses, she’s become a 360-degree force. A 2017 ACL tear tested her, but by 2018, she was ICC Cricketer of the Year. Her 2021 Test ton (127) during India’s tour of Australia and 2024 WPL title as RCB captain highlight her versatility. In 2025, her 115.85 strike rate and all-format centuries (first Indian woman) mark her class. Is she India’s greatest? The stats roar yes. As India start their World Cup campaign with the opener against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, Smriti’s sublime touch makes her the trailblazer to lead the charge.
