Smriti Mandhana Joins Elite 10,000 Runs Club in International Cricket

Thiruvananthapuram, 29 December (Daily Kiran) – Indian women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana has achieved a historic milestone by crossing 10,000 runs in international cricket. She became the second Indian and the fourth woman worldwide to reach this landmark. Mandhana achieved this feat during the fourth T20 international of the five-match series against Sri Lanka at Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.

The left-handed batter joined the ranks of legends like Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, and Charlotte Edwards. Among Indian players, only Mithali Raj had crossed 10,000 international runs before her.

Impressive Records Across Formats

In Test cricket, Mandhana has scored 629 runs in 12 innings across 7 matches, maintaining an average of 57.18, including 2 centuries and 3 half-centuries. In One Day Internationals (ODIs), she has scored 5,322 runs in 117 matches with an average of 48.38, including 14 centuries and 34 half-centuries. She ranks as the sixth highest run-scorer among women in ODIs. In T20 internationals, Mandhana has scored 4,102 runs in 151 innings across 157 matches, holding an average of 29.94 and a strike rate of 124.22, with 1 century and 32 half-centuries. She is the second highest run-scorer in this format.

Stunning Knock in Fourth T20

Against Sri Lanka in the fourth T20, Mandhana played a brilliant innings of 80 runs off 48 balls, hitting 11 fours and 3 sixes. Thanks to her performance, India posted their highest ever score in women’s T20 internationals at 221 for 2. India successfully defended the target and beat Sri Lanka by 30 runs. Under captain Harmanpreet Kaur, India took an unassailable 4-0 lead in the series.

After completing 10,000 runs, Mandhana said, “In cricket, every match starts from zero. The scoreboard always begins at 0/0. It does not matter what you did in the last match or series.”

She added that her mindset varies across formats. “In T20, you cannot be too hard on yourself because the game moves fast. Some days are good, some are not. But in ODIs and Tests, I am stricter with myself because you have time and getting out early feels wrong,” she explained.

Mandhana also highlighted the team’s biggest achievement as winning the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. She acknowledged that the team has faced ups and downs this year but emphasized continuous improvement in the young squad. “Our team is still young and a work in progress. Winning is important, but only thinking about success is not right. We also learn from losses,” she said.

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(Daily Kiran) Dube