Smriti Mandhana etched her name in the history books on Saturday as she became the first Indian woman cricketer to score a T20 International century. Leading the side in the absence of regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Mandhana delivered a stunning knock of 112 off just 62 balls to power India to a formidable 210 for 5 in the opening match against England in Nottingham. Her blistering innings is now the highest individual score by an Indian woman in T20Is, surpassing the previous best of 103 by Harmanpreet.

Mandhana’s innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression. She set the tone early with three boundaries in a single over from Linsey Smith and continued to dominate, smashing two sixes off Sophie Ecclestone in the seventh over. Alongside Shafali Verma, she laid a solid foundation with a 77-run opening stand. After Shafali's dismissal, Mandhana joined forces with Harleen Deol to build a 94-run partnership, keeping the pressure firmly on England.

Deol, who scored a quickfire 43 from 23 balls, complemented Mandhana with her clever use of sweep shots and capitalized on England’s erratic bowling. While Deol fell to Lauren Bell, Mandhana remained unfazed and reached her maiden T20I century—her first after scoring 31 fifties in her career—with two consecutive boundaries off Bell, showcasing her calm temperament and clinical finishing.

Though Mandhana was eventually dismissed by Ecclestone, her powerful knock had already sealed India’s upper hand in the match. England’s only notable bowling effort came from Lauren Bell, who picked up 3 wickets for 27 runs. However, by the time Bell struck in the 18th over, India had already built a near-unassailable total, driven by Mandhana’s record-setting innings.