Smriti Mandhana’s record-breaking year continued in Japan as the India opener became the highest run-scorer in women’s T20I cricket during the Asian Games semi-final against Bangladesh.
Mandhana needed seven runs to move past New Zealand great Suzie Bates’ tally of 4,758 and reached the landmark in the third over, hitting Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter for consecutive boundaries. She eventually finished with 37 off 19 balls, taking her career tally to 4,788 runs from 171 innings.
The milestone came just weeks after Mandhana moved to the top of the run-scoring charts in women’s international cricket across formats. During the Women’s Asia Cup, she surpassed Mithali Raj’s previous record of 10,868 runs with a 124 against Hong Kong, China.
Mandhana now sits at the top of two major career run-scoring lists, while her record tally of international centuries has also made her one of the most prolific batters in women’s cricket. Her 124 in the Asia Cup was her 18th international hundred, taking her past Meg Lanning at the time.
Her latest achievement came with another landmark. The two sixes in her 37-run knock took Mandhana past 100 sixes in women’s T20Is, making her the first Indian player to reach the mark.
The numbers also underline how quickly Mandhana has separated herself at the top of the T20I charts. Bates is now second with 4,758 runs, followed by India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on 4,287. Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine complete the top five.
Mandhana’s record-breaking start also helped India build momentum in the semi-final. She and Shafali Verma put together a 72-run opening stand before Mandhana was dismissed while attempting to finish the powerplay with another big shot.
Shafali then took over, producing the innings of the match with an unbeaten 100 off 49 balls, becoming the first player to score a century in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. India eventually defeated Bangladesh by 114 runs to reach the gold-medal match against Sri Lanka.
For Mandhana, the Asian Games milestone was another addition to a remarkable 2026, with the India opener continuing to rewrite the record books across formats.
