Smriti Mandhana Tops Women’s T20I Runs

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana became the highest run-scorer in women’s T20 internationals during the Asian Games 2026 semifinal against Bangladesh in Nisshin, Japan, on Sunday.

Mandhana needed eight runs before the match to move past New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, who had 4,758 T20I runs. She reached the milestone in the third over with a boundary, moving to the top of the all-time list.

Mandhana eventually scored 37 runs from 19 deliveries, including five fours and two sixes. She was dismissed at the end of the powerplay after helping India make a fast start.

The record came in Mandhana’s 178th T20I appearance and 171st innings. She had earlier surpassed Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket across formats during the 2026 Asia Cup.

Mandhana’s milestone came as India faced Bangladesh for a place in the Asian Games women’s cricket final. India went on to win the semifinal by 114 runs after posting 195/4, with Shafali Verma scoring an unbeaten 100 from 49 balls.

The latest achievement adds another record to Mandhana’s international career and places her ahead of Bates on the women’s T20I run-scoring charts. The ICC listed Mandhana on 4,788 runs after the match, ahead of Bates on 4,758.