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India’s vice-captain etched her name into the pantheon of cricketing greats on Sunday, December 28, 2025, becoming the fastest player to surpass 10,000 runs in women’s international cricket. The left-handed opener reached the monumental landmark during the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium, further cementing her status as the premier batter of the modern era.
Smriti Mandhana goes past legends to attain a massive record
Mandhana entered the match needing just 27 runs to reach the milestone. She achieved the feat in clinical fashion during the seventh over, taking only 281 innings to cross the 10,000-run mark across all formats. In doing so, she shattered the previous record held by former Indian captain , who reached the milestone in 291 innings. The star opener is now only the fourth woman in history to join the elite “10k Club,” and she is also the youngest to do so.
Masterclass in Thiruvananthapuram
The milestone was just the beginning of Mandhana’s dominance on the night. She went on to play a scintillating knock of 80 off 48 deliveries, laced with 11 boundaries and three towering sixes. Alongside her opening partner Shafali Verma, Mandhana stitched together a record 162-run opening stand, propelling India to a massive total of 221/2—the team’s highest-ever score in Women’s T20Is. The innings also saw Mandhana overtake Harmanpreet Kaur to become India’s leading six-hitter in the T20I format, while also registering her 32nd fifty-plus score in the shortest format—the most by any woman globally.
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Fastest to 10,000 international runs in Women’s cricket
1) Smriti Mandhana: As mentioned above, Mandhana accomplished the feat during the 4th T20I against the Lankans when she smashed a scintillating knock of 80 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 166.67. Her powerful knock not only helped India to reach their highest total in the shortest format, but also laid foundation for the hosts’ clinical victory by 30 runs.
2) Mithali Raj: Mithali was the first Indian woman and the second player overall to reach this five-figure total. She achieved the feat on March 12, 2021, during an ODI against South Africa in Lucknow. She reached the mark in her 291st international innings. Known for her incredible longevity (spanning 23 years), she is currently the all-time leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket with 10,868 runs.
3) Charlotte Edwards: The England legend was the first woman in history to breach the 10,000-run mark in international cricket. She reached the milestone in 2016, taking 308 innings to get there. A classical batter and a long-time captain of England, Edwards retired with 10,273 international runs, holding the record for the most runs for several years.
4) Suzie Bates: Bates became the third woman to enter the elite club and the first New Zealander to do so. She reached the landmark on July 12, 2024, during a T20I against England. It took her 314 innings to cross the threshold. Bates is a unique entry on this list as she reached the milestone without ever playing a Test match, relying entirely on her dominance in ODIs and T20Is.
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