Smriti Mandhana becomes top women's run scorer

Smriti Mandhana, the influential Indian batter, achieved a historic milestone on Thursday, September 3, 2026, becoming the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket. The 30-year-old accomplished this feat during her explosive innings of 124 runs off 64 balls against Hong Kong in the Women's Asia Cup match in Dubai. Mandhana's century, her 18th in international cricket across all formats, propelled her past the previous record held by former India captain Mithali Raj, who amassed 10,868 runs. Mandhana's career tally now stands at 10,880 runs. This remarkable performance also saw her surpass Australia's Meg Lanning and South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, who both had 17 international centuries, to become the leading centurymaker in women's international cricket. The match, which India won by a commanding 137 runs, secured their place in the semifinals of the T20 tournament. Mandhana's innings, featuring 14 fours and seven sixes, was the cornerstone of India's total of 193 for 5. Hong Kong was subsequently bowled out for 56. Her score of 124 also set a new record for the highest individual score in the Women's T20 Asia Cup, eclipsing Chamari Athapaththu's 119 not out from 2024.