Smriti Mandhana Becomes Highest Run-Scorer in Women's International Cricket

Historic Achievement by Smriti Mandhana

Dubai [UAE], September 3: Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, has made history by surpassing the legendary Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket across all formats. This remarkable feat was achieved during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A match against Hong Kong at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.

Mandhana accomplished this milestone with an impressive innings of 124 runs off 64 balls, bringing her total runs to 10,880, thus overtaking Mithali Raj's previous record of 10,868 runs. The top five run-scorers in women's international cricket now include Smriti Mandhana, followed by Mithali Raj, New Zealand's Suzie Bates with 10,740 runs, England's Charlotte Edwards with 10,273 runs, and West Indies' Stafanie Taylor with 10,007 runs.

In addition to her record, Mandhana's score of 124 also set a new record for the highest individual score in Women's T20 Asia Cup history, surpassing Chamari Athapaththu's unbeaten 119 against Malaysia in 2024. The previous top scores include Mithali Raj's 97 not out against Malaysia in 2018, Harshitha Samarawickrama's 81 against Thailand in 2022, and Shafali Verma's 81 against Nepal in 2024.

Mandhana has now joined Harmanpreet Kaur as the only Indian women to have scored centuries in T20 internationals, with her 124 against Hong Kong following her 112 against England in 2025. Harmanpreet's 103 against New Zealand during the 2018 T20 World Cup remains the other century on this list.

In the match against Hong Kong, Mandhana's stellar performance helped the Indian team set a total of 193/5. She dominated the game from the start, hitting 14 fours and seven sixes at an impressive strike rate of 193.55.

Shafali Verma opened the innings alongside Mandhana, contributing a solid 28 runs off 17 balls, including three fours and two sixes, before being dismissed by Ruchitha Venkatesh. After the power-play, Mandhana accelerated her scoring, showcasing her batting prowess.

Pratika Rawal added 10 runs off 12 balls before being dismissed by Joyleen Kaur, while Richa Ghosh scored 11 runs off 13 balls, including a four, before falling to Marina Lamplough. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined Mandhana late in the innings but could only manage 10 runs off 9 balls before being dismissed.

For Hong Kong, Marina Lamplough took two wickets, while Ruchitha Venkatesh and Joyleen Kaur each claimed one wicket.