Mandhana Becomes Women’s T20I Leading Run-Scorer
Mandhana Becomes Women’s T20I Leading Run-Scorer
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Key Points
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Mandhana reached the record by striking a boundary off Bangladesh bowler Marufa Akter in the semifinal.
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She achieved the feat after India won the toss at Korogi Sports Park, having missed India’s quarterfinal victory over Japan two days earlier.
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Mandhana’s T20I record includes two centuries and 36 half-centuries, giving her the most 50-plus scores in the format; she was also two sixes short of 100 T20I sixes.
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Earlier in the 2026 season, Mandhana overtook Mithali Raj to become women’s international cricket’s leading run-scorer, doing so with a 124 off 64 balls that also took her to a record 18 international centuries.
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New Zealand’s Suzie Bates had retired from T20Is earlier in the year after the T20 World Cup, while India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu were also listed among the format’s top five run-scorers.
Indian opener Smriti Mandhana became women's cricket history-maker at the Asian Games 2026, surpassing New Zealand's Suzie Bates to claim the all-time T20I run-scoring record. The 30-year-old left-hander needed just a handful of runs and struck a boundary off Bangladesh bowler Marufa Akter in the third over to reach the 4,759-run milestone ABP Live. The feat arrived in her 178th T20I and 171st innings, cementing her rapid ascent to the format's apex.
Mandhana has reshaped women's cricket records in 2026. Earlier this year, she became international cricket's leading run-scorer across all formats, surpassing Mithali Raj with a 124 off 64 balls Economic Times. She also became the first player to hit 600 fours in women's T20Is, extending a streak of milestones that underscores her dominance in the format.
Record-Breaking Boundary at Korogi Sports Park
Mandhana's breakthrough came during India's Asian Games semifinal against Bangladesh at Korogi Sports Park. Sunday Guardian Live reported that she needed seven runs to break Bates' 4,758-run record. She reached the milestone in the third over after India won the toss, delivering a clean strike off Akter's bowling.
An Already Stacked Record Book in T20I
Mandhana's T20I credentials run deep. She owns two centuries and 36 half-centuries — the most 50-plus scores in the format Newsable. The opening batter was also just two sixes short of hitting 100 career T20I sixes, continuing a trend of dominance across every batting metric.
Bates Retires While Mandhana Keeps Climbing
Suzie Bates retired from T20I cricket earlier in 2026 after the T20 World Cup, closing a legendary career that set the previous run-scoring standard. Her 4,758 runs stood as the benchmark until Mandhana's breakthrough. Alongside Mandhana, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu remain among the format's top five run-scorers.
The 2026 Season of Milestones
Mandhana's year has redefined the history books. In addition to her T20I record, she became women's international cricket's overall leading run-scorer, reaching 18 international centuries. Daily Hunt noted her rapid pace of accumulation across formats. These records, stacked within months, mark a historic chapter for Indian women's cricket and cement Mandhana as the sport's most prolific modern batter.
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