Key Highlights:
- Smriti Mandhana surpassed Suzie Bates to become the all-time leading T20I run-scorer across men's and women's cricket.
- She achieved the milestone with a 37 off 19 balls during India's Asian Games semifinal against Bangladesh.
- Mandhana now has 4,788 runs in 171 innings, ahead of Bates (4,758), Babar Azam (4,596) and Jos Buttler (4,292).
- She recently also became the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket overall, surpassing Mithali Raj during the Asia Cup.
- India, defending their 2023 Hangzhou gold, opted to bat first against Bangladesh after beating hosts Japan in the quarterfinal.
Another Milestone for Smriti Mandhana
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana added another feather to her illustrious cap as she became the leading run-scorer in T20I cricket across both men's and women's game on Sunday, further cementing her status as one of the format's most prolific batters across the sport as a whole.
How the Milestone Was Achieved
Mandhana achieved the milestone during the Asian Games semifinal against Bangladesh women at the Korogi Sports Park, with a strong cameo of 37 runs off 19 balls. The Indian vice-captain surpassed former New Zealand cricketer Suzie Bates to top the run-scorers' list, taking her tally to 4,788 runs in 171 innings.
A Milestone Reached Early in the Innings
Coming into the game, Mandhana had 4,751 runs in 170 innings and needed to score only eight runs to go past the New Zealand icon. She achieved this early in her innings, hitting a couple of fours within her first seven balls, along with two singles, ensuring the record was broken well before her innings had fully unfolded.
Already Ahead of the Men's Leading Scorer
Mandhana and Bates were already positioned above the leading run-scorer in men's T20Is, Babar Azam, and Mandhana's latest innings has now further widened that gap, reinforcing just how significant her run tally is when measured against the format's best performers regardless of gender.
The Updated List of Leading T20I Run-Scorers
According to the latest standings, the top five leading run-scorers in T20I cricket across both men's and women's formats now read: Smriti Mandhana with 4,788 runs, Suzie Bates with 4,758 runs, Babar Azam with 4,596 runs, Jos Buttler with 4,292 runs, and Harmanpreet Kaur with 4,287 runs, a list that notably features three women cricketers among the top five, underscoring the sustained excellence of the women's game at the top of the format's all-time run charts.
A Broader Pattern of Record-Breaking
Mandhana had recently become the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket as well. During the Asia Cup, she broke the record previously held by former India skipper Mithali Raj to become the most prolific run-scorer in the women's game across all formats combined.
Surpassing Multiple Legends in a Single Innings
She hit 124 against Hong Kong during the Asia Cup to surpass Mithali's tally of 10,868 runs, and in the same innings also notched her 18th international hundred, which was the most centuries recorded in women's international cricket at the time, allowing her to move past the legendary Meg Lanning as well. That particular century record was later equalled by South Africa women's captain Laura Wolvaardt, indicating just how tightly contested the race for these historic batting milestones has become among the current generation of leading women cricketers.
The Context of the Current Match
Coming into the Asiad semifinal, India opted to bat first against Bangladesh. The Women in Blue are looking to defend their gold medal from the 2023 Hangzhou Games, having already defeated hosts Japan in the quarterfinal to progress to this semifinal stage, setting up Mandhana's latest record-breaking innings within the context of a team campaign that carries significant stakes of its own as India seeks to retain its Asian Games title.
Key Highlights:
- Smriti Mandhana surpassed Suzie Bates to become the all-time leading T20I run-scorer across men's and women's cricket.
- She achieved the milestone with a 37 off 19 balls during India's Asian Games semifinal against Bangladesh.
- Mandhana now has 4,788 runs in 171 innings, ahead of Bates (4,758), Babar Azam (4,596) and Jos Buttler (4,292).
- She recently also became the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket overall, surpassing Mithali Raj during the Asia Cup.
- India, defending their 2023 Hangzhou gold, opted to bat first against Bangladesh after beating hosts Japan in the quarterfinal.
Another Milestone for Smriti Mandhana
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana added another feather to her illustrious cap as she became the leading run-scorer in T20I cricket across both men's and women's game on Sunday, further cementing her status as one of the format's most prolific batters across the sport as a whole.
How the Milestone Was Achieved
Mandhana achieved the milestone during the Asian Games semifinal against Bangladesh women at the Korogi Sports Park, with a strong cameo of 37 runs off 19 balls. The Indian vice-captain surpassed former New Zealand cricketer Suzie Bates to top the run-scorers' list, taking her tally to 4,788 runs in 171 innings.
A Milestone Reached Early in the Innings
Coming into the game, Mandhana had 4,751 runs in 170 innings and needed to score only eight runs to go past the New Zealand icon. She achieved this early in her innings, hitting a couple of fours within her first seven balls, along with two singles, ensuring the record was broken well before her innings had fully unfolded.
Already Ahead of the Men's Leading Scorer
Mandhana and Bates were already positioned above the leading run-scorer in men's T20Is, Babar Azam, and Mandhana's latest innings has now further widened that gap, reinforcing just how significant her run tally is when measured against the format's best performers regardless of gender.
The Updated List of Leading T20I Run-Scorers
According to the latest standings, the top five leading run-scorers in T20I cricket across both men's and women's formats now read: Smriti Mandhana with 4,788 runs, Suzie Bates with 4,758 runs, Babar Azam with 4,596 runs, Jos Buttler with 4,292 runs, and Harmanpreet Kaur with 4,287 runs, a list that notably features three women cricketers among the top five, underscoring the sustained excellence of the women's game at the top of the format's all-time run charts.
A Broader Pattern of Record-Breaking
Mandhana had recently become the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket as well. During the Asia Cup, she broke the record previously held by former India skipper Mithali Raj to become the most prolific run-scorer in the women's game across all formats combined.
Surpassing Multiple Legends in a Single Innings
She hit 124 against Hong Kong during the Asia Cup to surpass Mithali's tally of 10,868 runs, and in the same innings also notched her 18th international hundred, which was the most centuries recorded in women's international cricket at the time, allowing her to move past the legendary Meg Lanning as well. That particular century record was later equalled by South Africa women's captain Laura Wolvaardt, indicating just how tightly contested the race for these historic batting milestones has become among the current generation of leading women cricketers.
The Context of the Current Match
Coming into the Asiad semifinal, India opted to bat first against Bangladesh. The Women in Blue are looking to defend their gold medal from the 2023 Hangzhou Games, having already defeated hosts Japan in the quarterfinal to progress to this semifinal stage, setting up Mandhana's latest record-breaking innings within the context of a team campaign that carries significant stakes of its own as India seeks to retain its Asian Games title.