From Smriti Mandhana to Deepti Sharma: How Did Indian Players Perform in The Hundred?

Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, and Richa Ghosh were the three Indian cricketers participating in the Hundred Women's 2024 competition. Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur, who had played for Northern Superchargers and Manchester Originals in previous seasons, wouldn’t participate this year.

Deepti Sharma had a projected moment as she celebrated lifting the trophy with the London Spirit, who claimed the title by defeating Welsh Fire in the final at Lord's Cricket Ground on Sunday. In contrast, Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh did not fare as well in the Hundred.

Mandhana's Southern Brave concluded at the last in the table with just three points, having won only one of their eight matches. Richa played for the Birmingham Phoenix, who finished slightly ahead of the Brave in the standings with seven points and a net run rate of -0.742.

Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana had a challenging time in the Hundred Women's competition. In five matches, she accumulated 60 runs at an average of 12 and a strike rate of 136.36. Her best performance came with a score of 42 runs off 27 balls, including seven fours, against the Trent Rockets at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Despite this effort, her team, the Southern Brave, lost by 24 runs. Mandhana also executed a spectacular direct hit to dismiss Bryony Smith during the same match. However, apart from this game, she struggled to make an impact, failing to reach double digits in three other innings.

Deepti Sharma

Deepti Sharma was doubtlessly one of the standout performers for the Spirit in the tournament. She gathered 212 runs from eight matches, averaging 26.50 with a strike rate of 132.50. Her highest score was an undefeated 46 against the Oval Invincibles at the Kennington Oval in London. Crucially, her unbeaten 16 in the final played a significant role in securing the title for the Spirit, including hitting the winning six off Hayley Matthews. With the ball, Deepti claimed eight wickets at an economy rate of 6.85, including a three-wicket haul, highlighting her all-round contributions.

Richa Ghosh

Young Indian talent Richa Ghosh, representing the Birmingham Phoenix, also struggled in the championship. The 20-year-old managed to score just 62 runs in five matches, with an average of 15.50 and a strike rate of 96.87.Her highest score was 41 off 36 balls against the Trent Rockets at Edgbaston in Birmingham, but the Phoenix lost the match by three wickets. As a wicketkeeper, Richa had limited opportunities, recording only one catch throughout the tournament.