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Indian women's cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana scripted history by becoming India's highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals during the first India vs South Africa Women's match of the five-match T20I series, at Durban, on Friday. Mandhana surpassed the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma's record for most T20I runs by an Indian batter.
Smriti Mandhana has now scored 4,244 runs in 155 innings (161 matches) at an average of 30.31 and a strike rate of 124.38, including one century and 33 fifties, making her one of India's most prolific and consistent batters in the format. Coming into the match against South Africa Women, Smriti Mandhana was level with Rohit Sharma on 4,231 T20I runs. She added 13 runs off 14 balls in the game, taking her total to 4,244. Overall, Mandhana is now the second-highest run-scorer in women's T20 Internationals. The all-time record in women's T20Is is held by Suzie Bates, who has accumulated 4,717 runs in 175 innings. In men's T20Is, the record belongs to Pakistan's Babar Azam, with 4,596 runs from 136 innings. Coming to the Women in Blue's match against South Africa Women, Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen starred as the Proteas Women defeated India by six wickets in the series-opener. Chasing 158 runs, Wolvaardt anchored the chase with a steady 51, while Dercksen remained unbeaten on 44. Earlier, India posted 157/7, led by Harmanpreet Kaur (47*), with useful contributions from Shafali Verma (34) and Jemimah Rodrigues (36), but a slow finish hurt their total. South Africa's bowling was led by Ayabonga Khaka (3/16), supported by Tumi Sekhukhune (2/27) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (1/30). Both teams will next face each other on Sunday at the same venue--Kingsmead in Durban. (ANI)
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