Smriti Mandhana, the 29-year-old Indian vice-captain and left-handed opening batter, stood just 27 runs away from etching her name in history as only the fourth player, after England’s Charlotte Edwards, India’s Mithali Raj, and New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, to reach 10,000 International runs in women’s cricket ahead of the 4th T20I at Thiruvananthapuram on 28th December 2025.
This landmark loomed large ahead of the 4th T20I of India’s ongoing five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, hosted from December 21 to 30, 2025, with India leading 3-0 after an eight-wicket win in the opener, followed by 7 and 8-wicket wins in the next couple of games. Mandhana scored 25 off 25 balls, followed by a couple of low scores.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first in the 4th T20I at Thiruvananthapuram. She got to the landmark in the 7th over of the innings, bowled by Nimasha Madushani, driving the ball to long on for a single. That shot marked her entry into the 10,000 runs club across formats in women’s international cricket.
She became only the 2nd Indian, after former skipper Mithali Raj, also the fastest to reach the landmark in 281 matches. She scored her 32nd half-century (80 off 48 balls) in the format. Her knock came to an end in the 17th over of the innings, bowled by Malsha Shehani. India registered their highest T20I total, 221/2 in their quota of 20 overs.
India’s campaign unfolds under skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and head coach Amol Muzumdar, fresh off a triumphant 2025 where they clinched their maiden senior-level ICC title. In the 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final on November 2 at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, India, thrashed South Africa by 52 runs. Kaur became the first Indian captain to lift an ICC trophy at home.
Smriti Mandhana burst onto the scene with her T20I debut on April 5, 2013, against Bangladesh in Vadodara. Across 157 matches and 151 innings, she has amassed 4,102 runs at a strike rate of 124.22 and an average of 29.94, featuring 32 half-centuries and one century. Her pinnacle arrived on June 28, 2025, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, where she smashed 112 off 62 balls, laced with 15 boundaries and three sixes, opening with Shafali Verma in a 210/5 total that crushed England by 97 runs, earning her Player of the Match.
This format underscores her aggressive evolution, blending consistency with fireworks as India eyes the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5, 2026.
Mandhana’s ODI journey began on April 10, 2013, against Bangladesh in Ahmedabad. In 117 matches and innings, she boasts 5,322 runs at a strike rate of 90.52 and an average of 48.38, including 34 half-centuries and 14 centuries. Her peak came on June 19, 2024, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, with 136 off 120 against South Africa.
2025 marked her zenith: the first woman to exceed 1,000 runs (1,362) in ODIs at a strike rate of 109.92 and average of 61.90 across 23 innings, with five half-centuries and five centuries. She topped India’s charts and finished second overall in the 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup (September 30–November 2, hosted by India and Sri Lanka), powering their historic triumph.
Her Test debut arrived on August 13, 2014, against England at Wormsley. In 12 innings over select matches, Mandhana has tallied 629 runs at a strike rate of 63.72 and an average of 57.18, highlighted by three half-centuries and two centuries. Her standout knock unfolded on June 28, 2024, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, 149 off 161 in the first innings against South Africa, showcasing her grit in the longest format.
As Mandhana finally breaches the 10,000 runs mark amid Sri Lanka’s challenge, her trajectory cements her as a modern great, blending flair with legacy.
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