Harmanpreet Kaur scored 126 off 121 balls against Zimbabwe in Vadodara, bringing up her eighth ODI century and moving past Mithali Raj's seven for second place among India Women's centurions. The innings, which rescued India from 19/2, also took her beyond 2,000 ODI runs on Indian soil.
Innings Snapshot: The Key Numbers
Harmanpreet walked in at No. 4 in the second ODI of the three-match series after India lost captain Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma early. The score was 19/2, and the innings needed repair before it needed acceleration.
She reached her hundred in 101 balls, with 12 boundaries by that stage. Her final score of 126 came off 121 balls and included 15 fours and no sixes.
Harmanpreet Kaur vs Zimbabwe, 2nd ODI, Vadodara| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Runs | 126 |
| Balls faced | 121 |
| Strike rate | 104.13 |
| Fours / Sixes | 15 / 0 |
| Balls to century | 101 |
| Runs from boundaries | 60 (47.6%) |
| Batting position | No. 4 |
Boundaries accounted for 60 of her 126 runs. The remaining 66 came through running between the wickets, which points to a rotation-heavy approach rather than a power-hitting one.
Rebuilding India From 19/2
The match situation shaped the innings. With two wickets down inside the powerplay, the priority was to prevent a collapse.
The 124-Run Partnership With Pratika Rawal
Harmanpreet and Pratika Rawal added 124 runs for the third wicket. That stand lifted India from a fragile position to a competitive base.
Her century run rate to the milestone was 99.01 per 100 balls. She then added 26 more runs in the next 20 balls, a rate of 130.00, after reaching three figures.
Innings Phases| Phase | Runs | Balls | Strike Rate |
|---|
| To century | 100 | 101 | 99.01 |
| After century | 26 | 20 | 130.00 |
| Full innings | 126 | 121 | 104.13 |
The pattern is consistent with a measured build followed by acceleration. It also fits a team context where the top order had already been dismissed.
India Women's ODI Century Leaders
The hundred changes the all-time list for India Women. Harmanpreet now has eight ODI centuries, one more than Mithali Raj.
India Women's ODI Centuries| Rank | Player | Centuries |
|---|
| 1 | Smriti Mandhana | 14 |
| 2 | Harmanpreet Kaur | 8 |
| 3 | Mithali Raj | 7 |
Conversion Rate and the Gap to Mandhana
Harmanpreet reached this milestone in her 144th ODI innings. That works out to roughly one century every 18 innings.
Smriti Mandhana leads by six centuries, so the gap at the top remains substantial. Harmanpreet's move past Mithali Raj is a ranking shift, not a challenge to the leader yet.
2,000 ODI Runs on Indian Soil
The innings also took Harmanpreet past 2,000 ODI runs in India. She joins Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana on that list.
ODI Runs in India| Player | Runs | Gap to Harmanpreet |
|---|
| Mithali Raj | 2,833 | 760 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 2,701 | 628 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 2,073 | - |
Volume Versus Conversion
Mithali Raj leads this list with 2,833 runs despite having one century fewer than Harmanpreet. That reflects a different scoring profile built on consistency across many innings.
Harmanpreet's 2,073 runs include eight centuries in all ODIs, so her output relies more on big scores. The 126 is also her third-highest ODI score.
Form and Context
The century follows her unbeaten 91 in the third T20I against Zimbabwe. It also comes after she stepped down from captaincy.
Two substantial innings across formats suggest sustained form. The sample is small, but both scores came with the team needing stability rather than a finish.
What the Numbers Indicate
The innings combined a 124-run partnership, a 104.13 strike rate and a record-moving milestone. Each metric supports the view that this was a controlled, high-value knock.
The next benchmark is clear. Another 628 runs in India would take her level with Smriti Mandhana's current tally, and six more centuries would match Mandhana's 14.
Summary
Harmanpreet Kaur's 126 off 121 balls lifted India from 19/2, moved her to eighth ODI century status and placed her second on India Women's century list. She now has 2,073 ODI runs in India, behind only Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana among the players listed. The data shows an innings built on stability first and acceleration second.