Smriti Mandhana Approaches Historic 10,000 Runs in International Cricket

Mandhana on the Verge of a Major Milestone

Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, is just 28 runs shy of becoming the second Indian woman to achieve 10,000 international runs in cricket. She is set to play in the third T20I against Sri Lanka on Friday in Thiruvananthapuram.

At 29 years old, this left-handed batter from Maharashtra is on the brink of joining the ranks of legendary cricketer Mithali Raj, who is the only other Indian woman to have reached this milestone. Currently, Mandhana has accumulated 9,972 runs across 279 international matches. Mithali Raj retired in 2022 with a total of 10,868 runs from 333 matches. If Mandhana scores the required 28 runs, she will also become the fourth woman globally to surpass the 10,000-run mark, joining Mithali, Suzie Bates (10,652 runs), and Charlotte Edwards (10,273 runs).

India Dominates Sri Lanka Series

India currently leads the series against Sri Lanka 2-0 after winning the first two matches.

Recap of the Second T20I

In the second T20I held on Tuesday, India achieved a convincing seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. Chasing a target of 129 runs, Shafali Verma was the standout performer, scoring an impressive unbeaten 69 off just 34 balls, which included 11 fours and a six. Smriti Mandhana contributed 14 runs before her early dismissal, while Jemimah Rodrigues added 26 runs from 15 balls. India successfully reached the target in only 11.5 overs, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur coming in after Rodrigues' dismissal and finishing the match shortly after.

Earlier in the match, Sri Lanka managed to score 128 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their 20 overs. Chamari Athapaththu was the top scorer for Sri Lanka with 31 runs off 24 balls, while Harshitha Madavi contributed 33 runs off 32 balls. India's bowlers, particularly Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani, each took two wickets, while Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, and Amanjot Kaur made crucial run-outs, effectively keeping Sri Lanka's scoring in check throughout their innings. Early breakthroughs and disciplined bowling allowed India to restrict Sri Lanka to a subpar total, paving the way for an easy chase.