Newly appointed India captain Smriti Mandhana led the applause as Harmanpreet Kaur brought up her eighth ODI century during the second Women’s ODI against Zimbabwe in Vadodara on Sunday.
Harmanpreet reached the landmark in the 41st over, taking 101 balls to complete her hundred. The Indian dressing room erupted in applause, with Mandhana rising to her feet to give the senior batter a standing ovation.
Harmanpreet kept her celebrations understated, exchanging a handshake with Deepti Sharma before turning her attention back to the innings.
The Indian vice-captain went on to score an impressive 126 off 121 balls, anchoring the recovery after an early collapse. Deepti provided equally valuable support, remaining unbeaten on 106 off 86 deliveries.
Their centuries helped India recover from early setbacks and post a formidable 328 for six.
The innings highlighted India’s batting depth, with the experienced duo stepping up under pressure to rebuild the innings and put the team in a strong position.
While Harmanpreet’s century underlined her continued importance to the Indian batting line-up, Mandhana’s gesture offered a glimpse of the respect shared within the team as India enters a new leadership phase.
With two senior batters producing centuries in the same innings, India’s recovery became the defining story of the match in Vadodara.
