Smriti Mandhana Becomes First Indian to Cross 4,000 T20I Runs

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana achieved a historic milestone during the first Women's T20I against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam on December 21, 2025, becoming the first Indian and only the second woman overall to surpass 4,000 runs in T20I cricket. The 29-year-old reached the landmark with a run-a-ball 25, making her the quickest to the feat in terms of balls faced (3,227), surpassing New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who required 3,675 deliveries for the same achievement.

Mandhana now stands second on the all-time women's T20I run-scorers list with 4,007 runs, trailing only Bates' 4,716. This appearance marked her return to international cricket following India's triumphant ODI World Cup campaign last month, where they clinched their maiden title against South Africa. Additionally, Mandhana is just 42 runs shy of reaching 10,000 international runs across formats, having accumulated 5,322 in ODIs and 629 in Tests.

In the match itself, India Women secured a comprehensive eight-wicket victory to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Chasing Sri Lanka's modest 121 for 6—built largely around Vishmi Gunaratne's 39—India reached the target in 14.4 overs, propelled by a dominant display from Jemimah Rodrigues.

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Rodrigues remained unbeaten on 69 from 44 balls, striking 10 boundaries in a commanding knock that earned her Player of the Match honors. She shared a vital 54-run second-wicket partnership with Mandhana and an unbroken 55-run stand with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who finished unbeaten on 15, ensuring a comfortable win with 32 balls to spare.

The Indian bowling attack maintained discipline throughout, with Deepti Sharma proving the most economical (1/20 including a maiden), supported by Kranti Gaud (1/23) and Shree Charani (1/30). Rodrigues also equaled Mithali Raj's record of four fifty-plus scores against Sri Lanka in T20Is, underscoring her growing influence in the format.

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