India are facing New Zealand in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 on Thursday
Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal provided a solid foundation to India's innings
Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal added a double-century partnership of 212 runs in 201 balls
Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal provided a solid foundation to India's innings in their must-win ICC Women's World Cup 2025 group match at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Thursday, October 23. Both teams are vying for the final semi-final spot.
India had already suffered back-to-back defeats to Australia, South Africa, and England -- three teams already in the semis -- making this match a must-win to stay in contention for the top four. New Zealand are also in a similar situation after a rain-marred campaign.
Considering the stake in play, this India vs New Zealand fixture became a virtual quarter-final [read a knock-out], even though both teams have one match each.
Asked to set a target, India needed a strong opening stand, and Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal rose to the occasion, adding a double-century partnership of 212 runs in 201 balls.
Both scored individual centuries, and in the process, they entered a cricketing top five, men or women.
Mandhana and Rawal have put together 1,557 partnership runs in 2025, the second-highest aggregate by any pair in a single calendar year in ODI cricket. The only duo ahead of them is Sachin Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly, who combined for 1,635 runs in 1998.
For further context, the next best in women's ODIs is 972 runs, achieved by South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits this year.
The top five in this list feature another Indian pair, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (1,523) in 2023, Australian greats Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh (1,518 in 1999), and Tendulkar and Ganguly, again, 1,483 in 2000.
During the course of their record-breaking stand, Mandhana and Rawal also achieved a few other notable feats.
The stand is the highest partnership for India women in World Cups for any wicket, going past the previous high of 184 by Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur against the West Indies in the 2022 edition, in Hamilton.
They are now only the third pair to have multiple 200-plus stands in Women's ODIs, after Aussies Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry, South Africa's Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt, and England's Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones -- two each.
Smriti Mandhana, with her fifth century in 2025, matched Tazmin Brits' record of most WODI tons in a calendar year. The 29-year-old Indian batter is now second in the all-time list of the most hundreds in women's 50-over cricket, 14. Aussie great Lanning has one more.
Mandhana got out for 109 off 95, laced with 10 fours and four sixes, in the 34th over, while 25-year-old Rawal compiled 122 in 134 for her first World Cup century.
