The opening four matches of the Women’s Hundred 2026 have now been completed, giving all four Indian players involved in this season’s competition their first opportunity to make an impact.
Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh featured for Manchester Super Giants, Jemimah Rodrigues represented Southern Brave, while Deepti Sharma turned out for Sunrisers Leeds.
All four began their campaigns with victories, although their individual performances produced mixed results. Richa and Deepti made valuable contributions, while Smriti and Jemimah were unable to make the most of their opportunities with the bat.
Smriti Mandhana Makes Promising Start but Falls for 17
Manchester Super Giants opened their campaign with a seven-wicket victory while chasing a modest target of 81. Smriti Mandhana looked fluent during her brief stay, scoring 17 from 14 deliveries and striking three boundaries. Her innings included an impressive shot over backward point off Deandra Dottin.
However, the India opener was unable to convert her start into a substantial score. Marizanne Kapp produced a delivery that moved back into the left-hander and trapped her on the crease. The dismissal continued a recent pattern for Mandhana, who has often looked comfortable at the beginning of her innings without turning those starts into major scores.
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During the recent Women’s T20 World Cup, she began the tournament with consecutive half-centuries but failed to register another significant innings. Converting promising starts more consistently will therefore be one of her key objectives during the Hundred.
Richa Ghosh Makes Impact with Bat and Gloves
Richa Ghosh enjoyed a far more productive opening appearance for Manchester Super Giants. The wicketkeeper completed two catches and a sharp stumping before producing an explosive unbeaten cameo during the chase.
Ghosh finished on 15 not out from only five deliveries at a strike rate of 300, with her innings including two sixes.
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Although she spent little time at the crease, her aggressive finish ensured Manchester completed the chase comfortably and underlined her value as a powerful lower-order batter.
Jemimah Rodrigues Struggles in Southern Brave Win
Southern Brave began their season with an eight-run victory inspired by captain Sophie Molineux, but Jemimah Rodrigues was unable to make a meaningful contribution with the bat. Coming in at No. 4, Rodrigues scored only four runs before falling to Sophia Smale.
The dismissal appeared to result from a carefully constructed bowling plan. Smale delivered two short and wide balls outside off stump before following them with a fuller delivery that angled into the batter.
With the surface playing slowly and the ball holding in the pitch, Rodrigues mistimed her attempted stroke and offered a straightforward catch at backward point.
She did, however, contribute an important moment in the field. Her direct hit ran out Freya Kemp, who had been batting well and threatening to shift the game in the opposition’s favour.
The dismissal proved timely and helped Southern Brave regain control of the contest.
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Jemimah’s Difficult Run in the UK Continues
Rodrigues’ low score extended a challenging period during her tour of the United Kingdom.
She had started strongly with a match-winning half-century in the opening T20I against England before the Women’s T20 World Cup, but struggled to maintain that form. Across her next two T20Is, one warm-up match and five World Cup appearances, she scored 129 runs in eight innings and passed 30 only once.
She also failed to build on a promising start during the first innings of the historic Test at Lord’s.
Her early dismissal in the Hundred opener therefore represented another frustrating result as she looks to rediscover her best form.
Deepti Sharma Delivers with the Ball
Deepti Sharma did not need to bat as Sunrisers Leeds successfully chased a target of 108, but the experienced all-rounder played an important role with the ball. She returned figures of 2 for 20 from 15 deliveries and adapted effectively to the slow surface.
Deepti bowled at a pace that made it difficult for the batters to generate power and dismissed both opposition openers, Hayley Matthews and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
The wicket of Matthews was particularly significant, as the West Indies batter had begun to build momentum before Deepti reacted sharply to complete a return catch off her own bowling.
Her controlled spell helped restrict the opposition to a manageable total and laid the foundations for Sunrisers Leeds’ successful chase.
Mixed Individual Returns but a Winning Start
All four Indian players finished the opening round on the winning side, providing a positive collective start to the tournament.
Richa Ghosh made an immediate impact with her wicketkeeping and late hitting, while Deepti Sharma delivered a disciplined and effective bowling spell.
Smriti Mandhana showed signs of good form but will want to convert her starts into bigger scores, while Jemimah Rodrigues will be hoping to put her recent struggles behind her in the upcoming matches.
With the competition still in its early stages, each player will have further opportunities to shape her team’s campaign.
