Smriti Mandhana remained the second highesht run-scorer of the tournament, scoring 434 runs
She scored crucial 45 runs in the final match against South Africa
Shec scored most international runs in a calendar year for women in 2024, with 1,602 runs across formats
India finally lifted their first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup trophy on November 2, 2025, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, a night etched forever in Indian cricket history. The team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated South Africa by 52 runs to script a fairytale ending to their campaign and end decades of near misses.
At the heart of India’s triumph stood Smriti Mandhana, the team’s most consistent performer with the bat throughout the tournament. The elegant left-hander was India’s top run-getter, scoring 434 runs in nine matches, including a memorable century against New Zealand that sealed India’s semi-final berth.
Her 45-run knock in the final provided the early stability that set up the team’s winning total. Mandhana’s calm presence at the crease, coupled with her ability to deliver when it mattered most, made her one of the defining figures of India’s historic victory.
"I mean, every World Cup we go in and there have been so many heartbreaks for all of us." Mandhana, who has been waiting for this moment since her ODI debut in April 2013 , said later. "But yeah, we always believe that we have a bigger responsibility with women's cricket. And genuinely, just to see the support we've got over the last one and a half month and to see people come and support us."
Mandhana is also the vice-captain of the team, so there was an added responsibility on her shoulders but that didn't make any impact on her batting performance during the tournament. Even during the final match, she stitched a 104-run stand with her opening partner Shafali Verma, who was not even the part of the Indian team when the squad was announced.
The left-handed batter may not have produced multiple big knocks during the tournament but she provided great starts to the team in almost all matches of this year's edition of the Women's World Cup. And during the finals, she broke former India skipper Mithali Raj's record of scoring most runs in a single World Cup edition.
Smriti Mandhana's Bio
Date of Birth: July 18, 1996
Age: 29 years
Birthplace: Mumbai
Role: Batter
Batting Style: Left-handed
Bowling Style: Right-arm medium
Smriti Mandhana's ODI Stats
Matches played: 117
Runs: 5322
Average: 48.38
Hundreds: 14
Highest Score: 136
Smriti Mandhana's Background
In her international career, Smriti Mandhana has been linked with numerous firsts in women’s cricket. The elegant left-hand batter from Mumbai rose through the ranks from a young age, combining style with intent, and becoming a key figure in India’s batting line-up. Her fearless stroke-play and consistency helped bring Indian women’s cricket into sharper focus on the global stage.
Mandhana’s journey has been defined by boundaries, records and landmark moments. She became the first Indian woman to score centuries across all three international formats (Test, ODI and T20I) when she smacked a T20I hundred against England in June 2025. She also reclaimed the record for most international runs in a calendar year for women in 2024, with 1,602 runs across formats.
