Smriti Mandhana rewrites Mithali Raj’s record—and she’s only getting started
Published: September 07, 2026 06:17 AM IST
Smriti Mandhana has surpassed Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket.
She holds numerous batting records across all formats, including the most centuries and the highest runs in a calendar year.
Mandhana’s success extends to franchise leagues, where she has achieved significant success, including captaining Royal Challengers Bengaluru to championship triumphs in the Women’s Premier League.
Smriti Mandhana scaled yet another peak in her journey to cricketing greatness when she rewrote the record set by Mithali Raj for scoring the most runs in international cricket during the week that went by. India’s win over Hong Kong in the inaugural match of Asia Cup for Women on September 3 was never in doubt but Smriti ensured that the game did not pale into insignificance as a mere statistical figure by using it as the platform to score a breathtaking century, during the course of which she also crossed the tally of 10,868 runs scored by Mithali. Standing at this pinnacle, Smriti nonchalantly observed, “This is only the start!”, indicating her determination to reach even greater heights, which no one has seen, let alone attempted to climb!
Though born in July 1996 to a middle-class family in Mumbai, the headquarters of Indian cricket, Smriti learnt the basics of the game in Sangli, where her family relocated when she was only 2 years old. Her father was a club cricketer and her brother too played the game at the college and junior level. It was her brother who provided Smriti with the inspiration to take up the game.
Ever since she walked into the Maharashtra under-15 side as a precocious 9-year-old, Smriti’s talent has never been in doubt. But she combined her flair with passion and worked on her game assiduously, thus moving seamlessly from one level to the next higher one. Her first-class debut at the age of 13 was followed by a call to the national squad, which took place in April 2013. She first played a T20 International against Bangladesh and followed this by playing a One Day International against the same side five days later. Her initiation into the world of Test cricket took place the next year at Wormsley in England. She showed no signs of nerves as she anchored India’s chase in the last innings with a brilliant half-century that laid the foundation as the side cruised to a six-wicket victory.
Smriti quickly established herself in the national side in all formats of the game. Her maiden international century also came in 2016, when she struck a flawless 102 against Australia in an ODI at Hobart. International Cricket Council (ICC) acknowledged the rapid strides she made in the game in a short span of time by naming her in the ICC Women’s team for 2016. She was the only woman player from India to win this selection in that year.
Her splendid performances in Australia earned Smriti a call to take part in the Australian Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). She signed with Brisbane Heat, one of the franchisees, thus becoming, along with Harmanpreet Kaur, the first women cricketers from India to do so. Those were the days before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instituted the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in the country, and hence there were few restrictions on women players taking part in franchise cricket championships in other countries. But Smriti suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of her knee, which cut short her participation in WBBL that year.
This injury, which was serious enough to warrant a five month recovery period, also forced Smriti to sit on the sidelines till the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup. She started this championship with a bang striking a polished 90 as India defeated England in the first match. This was followed by an unbeaten century against West Indies where she guided the side to a facile 8 wicket win. However, she lost her form after this and could not come up with big scores either in the semifinals, where India shocked the much fancied Aussies or in the finals, when the side lost narrowly to England.
Smriti has been a permanent fixture in the national side in all versions of the game since 2017. Her long years in international cricket and the high consistency levels have combined to ensure that she is the holder of most batting records in the game today. In addition to being the highest run scorer in the game, she has also scored the highest number of centuries across all formats. Her 18 tons include 14 hundreds in ODI’s and 2 each in Tests and T20 Internationals. She also holds the record for scoring the highest tally of runs in a calendar year (1,659 runs in 2024). She followed this up in 2025 by becoming the first woman cricketer to score more than 1,000 runs in ODI’s in a calendar year. Her tally of 14 centuries in ODI’s is second only to Meg Lanning, who has 15 tons to her credit and one can be sure that this record will also belong to Smriti in the not too distant future.
It is not the plethora of records against her name but her ability to elevate her game in critical situations that makes Smriti an eternal favourite with followers of the game in India and abroad. She performs the difficult task of opening the innings and facing the ire of fast bowlers in all versions of the game. She bats with the natural elegance of a classic left hander but also packs plenty of power into her strokes. She possesses a sound defence, which helps her to tackle the initial overs in Test matches with ease. She employs this style in ODI’s also where she breaks loose only after a slow start when she assesses the pace and bounce of the wicket and the impact of conditions. She is very strong on the off side and her elegant cover drives bring memories of Saurav Ganguly at his peak. She is adept at handling the short ball and employs the pull shot very effectively. She also clears the ropes with ease, as can be seen from the 95 sixes that she has struck so far in T20 Internationals, which also makes her India’s leading “six hitter” in this format. Her strike rate of 90.36 in ODI’s and 126.54 in T20 Internationals, and her average of close to 50 per innings in Tests, showcase her versatility and ability to adapt easily across all formats.
Smriti belongs to the generation of Indian women cricketers who could take part in franchise leagues in other countries. After starting her career in WBBL with Brisbane Heat, she subsequently turned out for Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder which indicates both her success in this championship and popularity with the crowds. She also played in the English Women’s Super League in 2018, becoming the first Indian player to do so.
Her success and experience in franchise cricket on foreign soil were put to good use when WPL commenced in India. She was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2023 for a whopping ₹3.4 crores, which made her the highest-paid player in this league. She justified this by leading the side to the championship triumph in 2024, which was the first time ever that RCB, men and women combined, won a title. She showed that this victory was no flash in the pan by taking RCB to the pole position again in 2026. She was the highest run-getter in the 2026 edition of the championship, scoring 326 runs.
At 30 years old, Smriti has plenty of cricket ahead of her. Her commitment to the sport and consistency are such that she will not only create new batting records in all formats of the game but also raise the pedestal to such heights that removing her name from the record books may prove to be difficult for the next generation. She has been the vice-captain of the national side and will, in all likelihood, take over the mantle as and when Harmanpreet bids adieu to international cricket. Her wide experience of playing top grade cricket in all formats across the world will stand her and the team in good stead during her years at the helm.
Congratulations to Smriti Mandhana on becoming the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket! May she continue to break new ground and create many more records in the years ahead.