3 Indian women's cricketers who came close to scoring 200 in ODIs 

After years of struggle, the Indian women's cricket team finally seems to be getting the recognition it deserves. At the grassroots level, young girls are being encouraged to pick up and sport and the effects of this change can be felt on the international stage as well.

The Women in Blue have reached the finals of the 2020 T20 World Cup and the 2017 ODI World Cup, only to fall at the final hurdle. Despite the heartbreaking losses, many young women like Shafali Verma have given fans enough confidence that the team is in good hands.

Although the women's game isn't necessarily known for big hitting, two double centuries have been achieved in ODI cricket - Amelia Kerr's 232* and Belinda Clark's 229*

In this article, we take a look at 3 Indians who were in with a shot to become the country's first-ever double centurion in ODI cricket.

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#3 Smriti Mandhana, 135

Mandhana has been compared to Virender Sehwag at the top of the order

The ICC Women's Championship is a tournament conducted with the purpose of determining the participating teams of the next World Cup. In 2018, India took on South Africa at Kimberley with qualification to the 2021 World Cup on their minds.

After being put in to bat by South Africa on a slow track, Smriti Mandhana made merry against an insipid bowling attack consisting of Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk, among others. The elegant opener scored 135 runs off just 129 balls to take India to a massive total of 303.

Mandhana was stumped with just under 7 overs to spare, and with wickets in hand and a set platform, she could have capitalised on the wayward bowling to get close to a double hundred. It was not to be, although the left-hander hit 14 fours and 1 six in her long vigil at the crease.

The total proved far too high for South Africa to chase, as the spin trio of Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, and Deepti Sharma wreaked havoc to bowl them out for just 124, resulting in a 178-run victory for the Indians.

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#2 Harmanpreet Kaur, 171*

Harmanpreet Kaur scored 171* in the semi-final of the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup against Australia

Current T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur also came very close to a double century in ODI cricket, and she did so on the biggest of stages.

Against Meg Lanning's Australia in the 2017 World Cup, Kaur picked apart the Kangaroos' bowling attack to register an unbeaten 171 off just 115 balls in a rain-shortened 42-over game in Derby. The knock, studded with 20 fours and 7 sixes, took India to a competitive total of 281 and is the second-highest score by an Indian woman in ODIs.

Fiery spells from Shikha Pandey and Jhulan Goswami, alongside Sharma's 3-wicket haul, ensured that the Aussies were bowled out for 245.

Kaur also scored a fighting 51 in the final of the tournament against England, but Anya Shrubsole's 6-wicket haul took the hosts to a narrow 9-run win at Lord's.

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#1 Deepti Sharma, 188

Deepti Sharma could have easily become the first Indian woman to score a double century in ODIs

Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma has gotten the closest to breaking the 200-run barrier in ODI cricket.

In the Women's Quadrangular Series of 2017, comprising of hosts South Africa, Ireland, and Zimbabwe, India won the tournament after finishing level on points with the hosts but having a better run rate. One of the main reasons for this run rate was India's 249-run win over Ireland, thanks to opener Sharma's 188 off just 160 balls.

Unfortunately, the knock consisting of 27 fours and 2 sixes came to an end in the 46th over. She could have become India's first-ever double centurion in women's ODIs by just taking singles, but lost her stumps to Rachel Delaney.

Ireland were never in the hunt for India's score of 356, and were skittled for just 109. Gayakwad claimed 4 wickets, as India's hero with the bat bowled an economical spell and picked up a wicket as well. Deepti Sharma was understandably awarded the Player of the Match award.