With 4,765 runs to her name (and counting), Smriti’s landmark ascent highlights her exceptional consistency and longevity at the international level, closely shadowed by Bates’ impressive 4,758-run tally. In a historic moment for Indian cricket, women’s team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana became the all-time top run-scorer in Women’s T20 Internationals, leapfrogging New Zealand legend Suzie Bates at the top of the order. Smriti registered the milestone in the Asian Games women’s cricket semifinal against Bangladesh on Sunday.
The upper echelon of the list remains stacked with modern greats, featuring India captain Harmanpreet Kaur in third with 4,287 runs, closely followed by Sri Lanka’s talismanic captain Chamari Athapaththu (4,282 runs) and New Zealand power-hitter Sophie Devine (3,817 runs). The 30-year-old reached the landmark during India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A clash against Hong Kong at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. Mandhana reached the landmark with a 64-ball 124-run knock against Hong Kong, surpassing Mithali Raj’s tally of 10,868 runs. The all-time top five run-scorers in women’s international cricket now are Smriti Mandhana with 10,880 runs, followed by Mithali Raj, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates with 10,740, England’s Charlotte Edwards with 10,273 and West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor with 10,007 runs to her name. Mandhana’s record-breaking knock also saw her register the highest individual score in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history, with her 124 against Hong Kong surpassing Chamari Athapaththu’s unbeaten 119 against Malaysia in Dambulla in 2024. Mithali Raj’s 97 not out against Malaysia in 2018, Sri Lanka’s Harshitha Samarawickrama’s 81 against Thailand in 2022 and India’s Shafali Verma ‘s 81 against Nepal in 2024 complete the top five. Mandhana also joined Harmanpreet Kaur as the only Indian women to score three-figure knocks in T20Is, with her 124 against Hong Kong following her 112 against England in 2025. Harmanpreet’s 103 against New Zealand at the 2018 T20 World Cup remains the other century on the list.
Earlier this month, Smriti had broken another record by overtaking legendary compatriot Mithali Raj to become the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket across all formats.
