India crushes Hong Kong following Mandhana's historic 124 run century
Smriti Mandhana completely dismantled the Hong Kong bowling attack on Thursday, guiding India Women to a decisive 137-run win at the Dubai International Stadium during their Group A Women’s Asia Cup 2026 match. Her explosive 124 off just 64 deliveries propelled the team to an imposing 193 for 5. Surpassing a major historical milestone, Mandhana overtook legendary batter Mithali Raj to become the all-time highest run-scorer in women's international cricket. She now holds 10,880 runs across all formats, eclipsing Raj’s 10,868. This shift alters the global leaderboard, placing New Zealand's Suzie Bates in third with 10,740 runs, followed by England's Charlotte Edwards at 10,273 and West Indies' Stafanie Taylor with 10,007.
Indian Spinners Dominate Chase
Chasing 194 proved impossible for Hong Kong. Fast bowler Kranti Gaud started with a maiden over against Natasha Miles, setting an immediate restrictive tone. Nandani Sharma quickly removed Mariko Hill for a four-ball duck. Hong Kong ended the powerplay at a dismal 16 for one. Deepti Sharma bowled exceptionally well, eventually dismissing Yasmin Daswani for 11 and claiming three wickets in the 16th over to dismiss Joyleen Kaur, Iqra Sahar, and Mei Wai Siu. She finished with figures of 3 for 9 in three overs. Prema Rawat secured 2 for 12, taking down top scorer Miles (15 off 27) and captain Kary Chan. Nandani Sharma returned 2 for 6 in three overs, while Shree Charani wrapped up the game with 2 for 16, ending the Hong Kong innings at exactly 56 runs in 16.2 overs.
Early Partnership Solidifies Innings
Earlier in the day, Shafali Verma built a solid 74-run opening stand alongside Mandhana. Verma scored 28 from 17 balls, hitting three boundaries and two sixes before Ruchitha Venkatesh took her wicket. Pratika Rawal added 10 runs from 12 balls, Richa Ghosh chipped in with 11 from 13, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 10 from 9. Marina Lamplough led the Hong Kong bowlers with two wickets, while Venkatesh and Joyleen Kaur claimed one each.
With Inputs from Agency Threads and Photo Courtesy: ANI
