Table of Contents
The Indian Women’s cricket team returned to action for the first time since their historic ODI World Cup triumph, and they did so with a resounding statement. On a humid Sunday evening at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, the focus wasn’t just on the team’s victory, but on a monumental individual milestone. , the vice-captain and batting mainstay, once again proved why she is considered one of the most elite players in modern cricket by etching her name into the history books.
Smriti Mandhana becomes fastest to reach 4000 runs in T20Is
During India’s chase of 122, Mandhana walked out with her usual grace. Needing just 18 runs to reach a career-defining landmark, she played a steady knock of 25 runs off 25 balls. In doing so, she became the first Indian cricketer—and only the second woman globally—to surpass 4,000 runs in T20 Internationals.
She joined New Zealand legend (4,716 runs) as the only two women to breach this barrier, further distancing herself from teammates like Harmanpreet Kaur (3,669 runs). What makes this feat even more remarkable is the efficiency of her scoring. Mandhana reached the 4,000-run milestone in just 3,227 balls, making her the fastest in history to achieve this speacial feat (surpassing Bates, who took 3,675 balls). By reaching this target nearly 450 balls faster than the previous record holder, Mandhana has solidified her reputation as the most efficient run-scorer in the history of women’s T20Is.
Also READ:
India registers a dominating win in Vizag
While Mandhana provided the historic moment, the match was a clinical display of team effort. India opted to bowl first, and the bowlers immediately put the squeeze on the Sri Lankan lineup. Young pacer Kranti Gaud provided the massive breakthrough by dismissing Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu early.
Deepti Sharma led the spin attack with a masterful spell, finishing with figures of 1/20, including a maiden over. Debutant Vaishnavi Sharma also impressed, showing great composure to finish with an economical 0/16 in her 4 overs. Despite a fighting 39 from Vishmi Gunaratne, Sri Lanka was restricted to a sub-par total of 121/6 in their 20 overs.
The chase was never in doubt, thanks to a “Player of the Match” performance by Jemimah Rodrigues. After the early fall of Shafali Verma, Mandhana and Rodrigues stitched together a vital 54-run partnership. Following Mandhana’s dismissal in the 9th over, Jemimah shifted gears effortlessly. She remained unbeaten on 69 off 44 balls*, including 10 elegant boundaries as India won the match by 8 wickets.
Also READ:
This article was first published at , a Cricket Times company.
