India's rising star breaks longstanding batting record

India top-order batter Pratika Rawal added another accolade to her growing list of achievements when she became the fastest player to reach 500 runs in Women's One Day Internationals. In doing so, she has broken the record set by England legend Charlotte Edwards almost three decades ago in 1997.

Rawal achieved the feat in just eight innings, bettering Edwards' nine, during her brilliant knock of 78 against South Africa in the ongoing tri-series in Sri Lanka.

India posted 276/6 following a strong batting display in the first innings

This also makes Rawal the second-fastest player, across men's and women's cricket, to achieve the 500-run mark in ODI cricket. South Africa's Janneman Malan leads that list with seven innings in Men's ODIs.

In her nascent ODI career, Rawal has amassed five half-centuries and a century, taking her total to an impressive 572 runs. She has achieved this at a blistering strike rate of 92.71 and an outstanding average of 81.71.

Rawal has three Player of the Match awards and a Player of the Series award to her name, not including the ongoing contest against South Africa, and looks well in contention to break the record for fastest to 1000 runs in Women's ODIs.

The current record is held by Australia’s Lindsay Reeler, who achieved the feat in 23 innings. Reeler is followed by compatriots Meg Lanning and Nicole Bolton, who are jointly placed in second place and achieved the landmark in 25 innings. Another Australian legend, Belinda Clark, is tied with South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt in fourth place, having reached 1000 ODI runs in 27 innings.