Smriti Mandhana gives Harmanpreet Kaur a standing ovation after her 8th ODI century: Watch

Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur have been in the news lately amid reports of differences between the two Indian cricket stars. After Mandhana replaced Harmanpreet as captain, speculations about their equation and rumors of a strained relationship drew attention. However, on Sunday, October 25, a heartfelt moment caught the attention of both.

During India Women’s second ODI against Zimbabwe at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, Mandhana was seen giving Harmanpreet a standing ovation after scoring her eighth ODI century. The gesture came as the veteran batsman produced a crucial knock to help India recover from an early collapse.

India vs Zimbabwe 2nd Women’s ODI: Update | Scorecard

Harmanpreet brought up her century in the 41st over, reaching the milestone off 101 balls. The dressing room erupted in applause but she kept her celebrations understated, shaking hands with Deepti Sharma before returning to her task.

Vadodara rises to applaud Harmanpreet Kaur’s special #TeamIndia Update | #INDvWINTER | @mflone_ | @ImHarmanpreet BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 25, 2026

The century was significant as it was Harmanpreet’s first ODI hundred on home soil since her century against South Africa in June 2024. She also surpassed former Indian captain Mithali Raj in the list of Indian batsmen with the most ODI centuries by women. Mandhana remains ahead with 14 hundreds.

Harmanpreet eventually scored 126 off 121 balls and hit 15 fours before Michelle Mavunga ended her innings. The Zimbabwean bowler bowled a slower, fuller ball and tempted Harmanpreet into an ambitious stroke down the ground. The Indian batsman mistimed it from the bottom half of his bat, allowing substitute Kudzai Chigora to complete the catch at long-on.

HOW HARMANPREET SAVED INDIA

India were struggling at 19 for 2 after Mandhana and Shafali Verma fell early. Harmanpreet steadied the innings alongside Pratika Rawal and put together a valuable partnership of 124 runs for the third wicket. After Rawal and Tejal Hasabnis departed in quick succession, Harmanpreet joined forces with Deepti to keep the innings on track.

Harmanpreet also benefited from a reprieve on 67. She hit a full toss in the air towards short midwicket but Josephine Nkomo failed to catch. The missed opportunity proved costly for Zimbabwe as Harmanpreet continued to build her innings.

She combined patience with attacking strokes, finding gaps and punishing loose deliveries to reach the milestone. Her century showed her composure under pressure and ability to guide India through a difficult phase.

Harmanpreet’s ODI century also underlined how she carried her form from the third T20I against Zimbabwe on October 20 into the 50-over format. She managed to smash an unbeaten 91 off just 41 ballsincluding 10 fours and five sixes to help India post 216/7 to secure a 92-run victory. The knock earned her the Player of the Match award and helped India complete the T20I series 3-0.

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