Smriti Mandhana Passed Bates. Another Record Falls In A Record Year

Smriti Mandhana has become the highest run-scorer in women's T20I cricket, surpassing New Zealand great Suzie Bates during India's Asian Games 2026 semi-final against Bangladesh on Sunday.

Opening the innings after India won the toss and opted to bat, Mandhana needed eight runs to move past Bates' tally of 4,758 T20I runs. She reached the landmark in the third over, hitting two successive boundaries off Marufa Akter to take her career tally to 4,759.

The milestone came in Mandhana's 178th T20I and 171st innings, while Bates reached her 4,758 runs in 178 innings.

Mandhana was eventually dismissed for 37 off 23 balls, caught by Sobhana Mostary at deep mid-wicket off Nahida Akter. Her innings included four boundaries and two sixes.

Smriti Mandhana's latest milestone in a record-breaking year

The T20I record is the latest in a series of landmarks for Mandhana in 2026.

Earlier this month, she became the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket, moving past former India captain Mithali Raj's tally of 10,868 runs.

Mandhana also broke the record for most centuries in women's international cricket during the Asia Cup, scoring her 18th hundred with a 124 off 64 balls.

She is also the fastest woman to reach 10,000 international runs, achieving the mark in 280 innings, and became the first Indian woman to score centuries across all three international formats.

Smriti Mandhana now leads the T20I charts

With her latest record, Mandhana moved to the top of a leaderboard that includes several of the biggest names in women's cricket.

Mandhana is also India's leading six-hitter in women's T20Is and entered the Bangladesh semi-final two sixes short of 100 in the format.

She had been rested for India's quarter-final against Japan but returned to the XI for the semi-final, immediately making her mark before adding another record to an already remarkable year.