Smriti Mandhana Sets New T20I Record Despite India's Loss to South Africa
Historic Achievement for Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana, a key player for India, made headlines during the inaugural T20I against South Africa women at Kingsmead, Durban. Although she only managed to score 13 runs in the match, this performance was significant enough to surpass Rohit Sharma's previous national record. Rohit had held the record for the most runs in T20I cricket for India with a total of 4231 runs, but Mandhana's achievement now places her as the highest run-scorer for India in T20I matches. With 4244 runs in 161 T20I games, including 33 fifties and one century, she has also climbed to third place in the overall T20I run-scoring list for both men and women.
Top T20I Run Scorers
Most Runs In T20I Cricket
The record for the highest runs in T20I cricket is currently held by New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who has amassed 4717 runs across 175 innings.
| Player | Team | Innings | Runs |
| Suzie Bates | New Zealand Women | 175 | 4,717 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan Men | 136 | 4,596 |
| Smriti Mandhana | India Women | 155 | 4244 |
| Rohit Sharma | India Men | 151 | 4,231 |
| Virat Kohli | India Men | 117 | 4,188 |
| Jos Buttler | England Men | 143 | 4,037 |
| Paul Stirling | Ireland Men | 160 | 3,895 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | India Women | 169 | 3,822 |
| Chamari Athapaththu | Sri Lanka Women | 151 | 3,637 |
| Sophie Devine | New Zealand Women | 147 | 3,587 |
| Beth Mooney | Australia Women | 112 | 3,545 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand Men | 118 | 3,531 |
| Stafanie Taylor | West Indies Women | 128 | 3,518 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan Men | 93 | 3,414 |
| Meg Lanning | Australia Women | 121 | 3,405 |
| Muhammad Waseem | UAE Men | 97 | 3,338 |
| Danni Wyatt-Hodge | England Women | 157 | 3,335 |
| David Warner | Australia Men | 110 | 3,277 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | India Men | 107 | 3,272 |
Mandhana's Path to the Top
Mandhana Chases History
At 38, Suzie Bates may soon retire, and with Babar Azam currently out of the T20I squad, Mandhana has a prime opportunity to surpass both players and claim the title of the leading run-scorer in T20I cricket. Achieving this milestone would be a remarkable feat.
India's Performance in the Match
India Go 1-0 Down
In the match, India faced a setback against South Africa, finishing with a score of 157-7 in their 20 overs, falling short of their target. South Africa's captain, Laura Wolvaardt, played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 51 runs, leading her team to victory. Annerie Dercksen also made a significant contribution with 44 runs, putting South Africa ahead in the series at 1-0.