India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana etched her name deeper into the history books on Sunday, becoming only the second Indian woman after Mithali Raj to cross 10,000 international runs. The landmark came during the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.
Mandhana required just 72 runs to reach the milestone and got there in 20 deliveries, underlining her class and consistency across formats. With this feat, she joined an elite global list featuring New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and former England captain Charlotte Edwards as the only women to breach the 10,000-run mark in international cricket.
Smriti Mandhana made the occasion even more special with a commanding knock of 80 runs off 48 balls, featuring 11 fours and three sixes at a phenomenal strike rate of 170.2. This was her 32nd international fifty, an achievement that saw her surpass Suzie Bates and Beth Mooney to become the batter with the most fifty-plus scores in the format. She was deservedly named Player of the Match as India piled up 221/2, their highest-ever total in women’s T20Is.
Mandhana’s innings laid the foundation for a dominant batting display, highlighted by a 162-run opening partnership with Shafali Verma, who played a blistering knock of 79. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur ensured a strong finish at the back end as India posted a daunting total.
Praising the openers, Harmanpreet said during the post-match presentation,
“We should give credit to Smriti and Shafali for the start they gave. I’ve been playing for ages, so I try to improve after every game.”
Mandhana, who made her international debut against Bangladesh in April 2013, admitted that switching back to T20 cricket after an extended run of ODIs was mentally challenging.
“After playing a lot of ODI cricket, it was hard to get into T20 mode. Playing six months of ODI cricket and coming back to T20 was a bit difficult mentally. I came early and tried to work on my plans,” she said.
Across formats, Mandhana has now scored 629 runs in seven Tests and 5,322 runs in 117 ODIs, and she continues to close in on Mithali Raj’s all-time tally of 10,868 international runs, the highest in women’s cricket.
Chasing 222, Sri Lanka put up a spirited fight and finished on 191/6, their highest-ever score in women’s T20Is. Captain Chamari Athapaththu acknowledged the batting improvement but pointed to her team’s lack of bowling experience as a decisive factor.
Earlier in the series opener at Visakhapatnam, Mandhana had already made history by becoming the first Indian batter and second overall after Suzie Bates to score 4,000 runs in Women’s T20Is. She was also India’s second-highest run-scorer in their victorious Women’s ODI World Cup campaign, amassing 434 runs in nine innings at an average of 54.25.
The five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka will conclude on December 30, after which Mandhana will turn her attention to franchise cricket. She is set to captain Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 Women’s Premier League, beginning January 9, with RCB facing Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians in the opening match at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.