Durban, South Africa — April 18, 2026
India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana created history by becoming the highest run-scorer for India in T20 Internationals across men’s and women’s cricket, surpassing Rohit Sharma.
Mandhana reached the milestone during the first T20I against South Africa. Despite scoring just 13 runs, she moved past Rohit’s 4,231 runs, taking her tally to 4,244 runs.
Most Runs in Women’s T20 Internationals
| Player | Matches | Runs | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suzie Bates | 181 | 4717 | 108.56 | 1 | 28 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 161 | 4244 | 124.38 | 1 | 33 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 191 | 3869 | 109.20 | 1 | 15 |
| Chamari Athapaththu | 154 | 3637 | 110.58 | 3 | 14 |
| Sophie Devine | 151 | 3587 | 121.55 | 1 | 23 |
Closing in on Babar Azam’s Record
Mandhana is now 352 runs away from the all-time T20I record held by Babar Azam (4,596 runs).
Most Runs in Men’s T20 Internationals
| Player | Matches | Runs | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babar Azam | 145 | 4596 | 128.02 | 3 | 39 |
| Rohit Sharma | 159 | 4231 | 140.89 | 5 | 32 |
| Virat Kohli | 125 | 4188 | 137.04 | 1 | 38 |
| Jos Buttler | 155 | 4037 | 147.76 | 1 | 28 |
| Paul Stirling | 163 | 3895 | 134.35 | 1 | 24 |
Match Summary: India vs South Africa
India posted 157/7 in 20 overs, with contributions from:
- Shafali Verma – 34 (20)
- Jemimah Rodrigues – 36 (29)
- Harmanpreet Kaur – 47* (33)
South Africa chased the target in 19.1 overs, led by:
- Laura Wolvaardt – 51 (39)
- Anneke Dercksen – 44* (34)
What Players Said
Rodrigues noted that India were 15–20 runs short, citing difficult batting conditions. Mandhana added that the team “fell slightly short as a batting unit” but competed well till the end.
What’s Next
South Africa lead the series 1-0, with four matches remaining. Mandhana now has multiple chances to surpass Babar Azam’s all-time record.
