Smriti Mandhana added another defining chapter to her already illustrious career on Sunday night in Visakhapatnam, becoming the first Indian woman to cross 4000 runs in T20 Internationals.
The landmark came during the opening match of India’s five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at the ACA–VDCA Stadium, a venue that witnessed not just a personal milestone but the continued evolution of one of India’s most influential batters in the shortest format.
Needing just 18 runs to reach the mark, Mandhana took only 15 deliveries to get there while chasing a modest target of 122. The moment arrived in the Powerplay, with a trademark boundary through the covers off Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu. It was a shot that perfectly encapsulated Mandhana’s T20I journey clean, authoritative, and aesthetically effortless. Although her innings ended soon after, dismissed by Inoka Ranaweera for a run-a-ball 25, the night had already belonged to her.
At 29, Mandhana now sits second on the all-time list of run-scorers in women’s T20 Internationals, trailing only New Zealand stalwart Suzie Bates. Her tally of 4007 runs places her ahead of some of the most decorated names in the modern game, including teammate Harmanpreet Kaur, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, and New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine. The numbers underline not just longevity, but consistency across conditions, oppositions, and phases of India’s rise in women’s cricket.
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What makes Mandhana’s achievement particularly significant is the context in which it has come. This match against Sri Lanka marked India’s first international appearance since lifting their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title last month, a triumph that redefined the team’s standing in global cricket. In that broader narrative of Indian women’s cricket entering a new era of confidence and expectation, Mandhana’s milestone felt symbolic linking the team’s past struggles, present dominance, and future ambitions.
Mandhana’s T20I career has been built on adaptability. Early on, she was seen primarily as a classical stroke-maker in a format increasingly dominated by power-hitters. Over time, she has expanded her scoring range, improved her strike rotation, and learned when to accelerate without compromising her natural game. Her current strike rate of over 123 reflects a batter who has evolved with the format rather than resisted it, a rare trait in a career that began more than a decade ago.
Equally important is her role as an opener. In T20Is, the PowerPlay often dictates the rhythm of the innings, and Mandhana has consistently provided India with intent without recklessness. Her ability to take on pace and spin early has allowed India’s middle order to operate with freedom, a structural advantage that has become central to the team’s recent success.
The list she now occupies offers perspective on her standing in the global game. Suzie Bates remains the benchmark, a player whose career has spanned nearly two decades. Mandhana, however, is closing that gap while still firmly in her prime. With Harmanpreet Kaur also in the top three and Chamari Athapaththu rounding out the top five, the leaderboard reflects a generation of batters who have carried their teams through the professionalisation of women’s cricket.
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Beyond statistics, Mandhana’s milestone reinforces her cultural impact. She has become the face of Indian women’s batting across formats recognisable, reliable, and influential for the next generation. Young cricketers entering domestic pathways today have grown up watching Mandhana dominate bowlers worldwide, making her 4000-run mark not just a record, but a reference point.
As India continue their T20I series against Sri Lanka, the focus will shift back to team objectives and World Cup preparation.
But Visakhapatnam will be remembered as the venue where Smriti Mandhana crossed a frontier no Indian woman had reached before cementing her place not only in Indian cricket history, but in the global T20I elite.
