Smriti Mandhana surpasses Mithali Raj to become top run-scorer in women’s internationals

Smriti Mandhana became the highest run-getter in women’s international cricket, surpassing former India captain Mithali Raj, during a record-breaking knock against Hong Kong in the Women’s Asia Cup on Thursday, ICC reported.

Mandhana scored 124 off 64 balls including 14 fours and seven sixes taking her career tally across Tests, one-day internationals and T20 internationals to 10,880 runs. In her 303rd international innings she broke Raj’s previous record of 10,868 runs.

The 30-year-old also became the first Indian woman to score a century in Women’s T20 Asia Cup. Her innings was her 18th international century, surpassing former Australia captain Meg Lanning for the most hundreds in women’s international cricket.

Mandhana said she had “never imagined” going beyond Raj’s record, and called the feat a special moment as Raj was her role model and she played a major part of her career under the former captain’s leadership.

India posted 193-5 before bowling out Hong Kong for 56, winning by 137 runs and securing a place in the Asia Cup semi-finals. The century by Mandhana was the highest individual score in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup too.

New Zealand’s Suzie Bates has climbed to third on the all-time women’s international runs-scorers’ list with 10,740.