4th T20I: Mandhana becomes second Indian woman batter to cross 10,000 international runs

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 28 (IANS) India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Sunday became only the second Indian woman player after compatriot Mithali Raj to complete 10,000 runs in international cricket.

Smriti, who debuted for India against Bangladesh in April 2013, needed 27 runs before the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram to reach the huge landmark, and reached the milestone in just 20 deliveries at the Greenfield International Stadium. She eventually made 80 off 48 balls – her 32nd fifty laced with 11 fours and three sixes at a strike-rate of 170.2.

Apart from Mithali, Smriti joins New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and former England player turned coach Charlotte Edwards as the only other women to cross the big landmark.

Smriti has also scored 629 runs in seven Tests and 5,322 runs in 117 ODIs. Raj, the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket, retired with 10,868 runs across formats, and Smriti has the opportunity to surpass her tally.

Previously, while hitting a run-a-ball 25 during the T20I series opener against Sri Lanka at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, Smriti became the first Indian batter and second overall after Suzie to complete 4,000 runs in Women’s T20Is.

The left-handed opener was the second-highest run-scorer in India’s triumphant Women’s ODI World Cup campaign – amassing 434 runs in nine innings at an average of 54.25.

Smriti also finished 2025 as the highest run-getter in ODIs, scoring 1362 runs in 23 innings, which included five fifties and five centuries, and also became the first Indian woman to score a century in all three formats of the game.

Following the conclusion of the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka on December 30, Smriti will captain Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL), beginning on January 9. RCB will face Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians in the opening game at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

--IANS

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