Smriti Mandhana Becomes First Indian Woman to Score 4,000 T20I Runs

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana made history on Sunday during the first Women's Twenty20 International (T20I) match against Sri Lanka held in Visakhapatnam. The left-handed opener reached a significant milestone, becoming the first Indian woman to score over 4,000 runs in T20Is.

Mandhana's achievement places her in an exclusive group within women's T20 international cricket. She is only the second female cricketer globally to reach this impressive mark, following New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, who has accumulated 4,716 runs in the format.

What further highlights Mandhana's record is the speed at which she accomplished this feat. She reached the 4,000-run milestone in just 3,227 balls, surpassing Suzie Bates, who took 3,675 balls to achieve the same. This rapid scoring exemplifies Mandhana's consistent and aggressive style of play in T20 cricket over the years.

In the match against Sri Lanka, Mandhana scored 25 runs off 25 balls before being dismissed in the ninth over while chasing a target of 122 runs. Although her innings was brief, it was pivotal in helping her achieve this landmark. This match also marked her first international appearance since India’s historic victory in the ODI World Cup final the previous month, where they triumphed over South Africa to claim their maiden title.

Earlier in the match, the Indian bowling attack demonstrated a disciplined performance, limiting Sri Lanka to 121 runs for the loss of six wickets. The Sri Lankan batters struggled to capitalise on loose deliveries and were unable to form any substantial partnerships.

Sri Lankan opener Vishmi Gunaratne was the top scorer for her team, managing 39 runs off 43 balls. Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama contributed 20 and 21 runs, respectively. Sri Lanka's captain, Chamari Athapaththu, initially started aggressively but was dismissed by young Indian pacer Kranti Gaud, providing India with an early breakthrough.

Despite the challenging conditions posed by dew, which made it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball, India's bowlers maintained a tight line throughout the middle overs. Deepti Sharma bowled economically, while debutant Vaishnavi Sharma impressed with her calm and controlled bowling, conceding very few runs throughout her spell.