Mandhana’s 124 off 64 passes Mithali Raj as women’s international run record

Smriti Mandhana went past Mithali Raj's career total during a 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong at Dubai International Stadium on 4 September. The innings lifted her to 10,880 runs in women's international cricket. Raj's mark had stood at 10,868.

India made 193 for 5 after being asked to bat. Hong Kong were bowled out for 56 in 16.2 overs. Deepti Sharma took 3 for 9. The 137-run win put India into the Women's T20 Asia Cup semi-finals.

A day of three records

The 30-year-old also registered her 18th hundred across formats, moving ahead of Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt, who have 17 each. The 124 is the highest individual score in the Women's T20 Asia Cup, above Chamari Athapaththu's 119 not out against Malaysia in Dambulla in 2024.

She hit 14 fours and seven sixes. The sixes took her T20 international tally to 95, the most by an Indian woman in the format. Shafali Verma's 28 was the next-best score in the Indian innings, which underlines how far Mandhana carried the total on her own.

The all-time list behind her now reads Raj 10,868, New Zealand's Suzie Bates 10,740, England's Charlotte Edwards 10,273 and West Indies' Stafanie Taylor 10,007.

What she said, and what Raj said

Mandhana told reporters she did not know the exact numbers while she was batting. "Until I was batting, I didn't know what record because I didn't know what exact runs I had scored. But, looking back, I'd say a very good day for Indian cricket."

She called Raj "a legend and a role model" and said she had never imagined going past her. "Happy that there are two Indians at the top two."

Raj replied on X: "I've watched you grow from a young player into one of the finest batters India has produced. To see you go past my record and become the highest run-scorer in international cricket is a moment I'm genuinely proud of. Here's to many more runs and milestones. Keep going!"

The career that made the numbers possible

Mandhana debuted for India in 2013. She became the first Indian woman to score international centuries in all three formats when she made her first T20 hundred last year. She is now the first Indian woman with two T20 international hundreds.

Raj's record was a product of a longer Test-and-ODI career in a period when India played fewer T20s. Mandhana's total has been built in an era of heavier white-ball calendars. That does not shrink the feat. It explains why the record moved in a T20 rather than in a Test.

Hong Kong's bowling, she said, was disciplined early. The acceleration after that produced a tournament record and a career record in the same hour. India will play a semi-final with their vice-captain sitting on both lists and with Raj's public blessing attached to the innings that got her there.

The next test is whether 10,880 becomes a stopping point or a staging post. Bates is 140 runs behind. The calendar will not wait.