Smriti Mandhana becomes first Indian woman to cross 4,000 T20I runs as India beat SL by 8 wickets

Mandhana creates history in Visakhapatnam during the first Women’s T20I, while Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten fifty powers India Women to a dominant win and a 1-0 series lead over Sri Lanka.

Indian star batter Smriti Mandhana etched her name into the record books during the first Women’s T20I against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, becoming the first Indian cricketer to score 4,000 runs in women’s T20 internationals.

The 29-year-old reached the landmark during India’s chase of 122 runs, scoring 25 off 25 balls before getting dismissed in the ninth over. Though her stay was brief, the innings marked a historic milestone. Mandhana now has 4,007 T20I runs, making her the second player overall to cross 4,000 runs in women’s T20Is, after New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, who has 4,716 runs in 177 matches.

Mandhana also achieved the milestone faster than any other player, reaching 4,000 runs in just 3,227 balls, compared to Bates, who took 3,675 balls. This match was also Mandhana’s first international appearance since the ODI World Cup final last month, where India defeated South Africa to lift their maiden World Cup title.

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In another major personal milestone, Mandhana is now just 42 runs away from completing 10,000 runs in women’s international cricket. She currently has 5,322 runs in ODIs, 4,007 in T20Is, and 629 runs in Test cricket.

On the match front, Jemimah Rodrigues delivered a match-winning performance, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 44 balls, including 10 fours, to guide the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India Women to a commanding eight-wicket victory. India chased down the target in just 14.4 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the T20I series.

During the chase, Mandhana and Jemimah added a crucial 54-run partnership for the second wicket, setting the platform for a comfortable finish. Jemimah then stitched an unbroken 55-run stand for the third wicket with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who remained unbeaten on 15. Jemimah also equalled Mithali Raj’s record of four 50-plus scores against Sri Lanka in women’s T20Is.

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Earlier, Sri Lanka Women, after being asked to bat first, were restricted to 121/6 in 20 overs. Opener Vishmi Gunaratne top-scored for the visitors with 39 off 43 balls. Among the Indian bowlers, Deepti Sharma was the most economical, returning 1/20 in four overs, including a maiden. Kranti Gaud picked up 1/23 in three overs, while Shree Charani claimed one wicket for 30 runs in her four-over spell.