Indian batting star Smriti Mandhana etched her name into the record books during the first Women’s T20 International against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, becoming the first Indian woman to score 4,000 runs in T20Is. The left-hander reached the milestone in her 129th match, achieving the feat faster than anyone else in terms of balls faced.
With this landmark, Mandhana is now second overall on the list of highest run-scorers in women’s T20Is, behind New Zealand veteran Suzie Bates. What makes Mandhana’s achievement even more remarkable is that she reached 4,000 runs in just 3,227 balls, significantly quicker than Bates, who took 3,675 balls to cross the mark.
Mandhana scored 25 off 25 balls in the series opener before being dismissed in the ninth over of India’s chase. This was her first international appearance since India’s historic triumph in the ODI World Cup final last month, where the Women in Blue lifted their maiden title.
The milestone also puts Mandhana on the verge of another major achievement. She is now only 42 runs away from completing 10,000 runs in women’s international cricket across formats. So far, she has accumulated 5,322 runs in ODIs, 4,007 in T20Is, and 629 runs in Test matches.
Jemimah Rodrigues Powers India to Comfortable Win
While Mandhana created history, it was Jemimah Rodrigues who stole the spotlight with the bat. The stylish right-hander played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 69 off 44 balls, guiding India Women to an emphatic eight-wicket victory and a 1-0 lead in the T20I series.
Chasing a modest target of 122, India reached the finish line in just 14.4 overs. Jemimah’s innings was laced with 10 boundaries and was marked by composure and aggression. During her knock, she also equalled Mithali Raj’s record of four 50-plus scores against Sri Lanka in women’s T20Is.
Mandhana and Jemimah shared a crucial 54-run partnership for the second wicket, laying the foundation for the comfortable chase. Jemimah later added an unbroken 55-run stand with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who remained not out on 15, to seal the win.
Bowlers Set Up the Victory
Earlier, India’s disciplined bowling effort restricted Sri Lanka Women to 121 for 6 in their 20 overs. Opener Vishmi Gunaratne top-scored for the visitors with 39 off 43 balls.
Deepti Sharma was the standout bowler for India, delivering a highly economical spell of 1 for 20, including a maiden over. Kranti Gaud chipped in with 1 for 23, while Shree Charani claimed one wicket despite conceding 30 runs.
With a dominant performance in the opening match, India Women have made a strong start to the T20I series, combining record-breaking individual achievements with a commanding team display.
