Women’s international cricket has entered a phase where long-standing statistical ceilings are being broken with remarkable regularity.
What once seemed extraordinary is now becoming a feature of the modern game, driven by packed international calendars, improved fitness standards, and a generation of batters comfortable across formats. Nowhere is this transformation clearer than in the list of most runs scored in a calendar year, a leaderboard increasingly dominated by two names: Smriti Mandhana and Laura Wolvaardt.
At the very top sits Mandhana’s staggering 1703 runs in 2025, a figure that currently stands as the highest annual aggregate in the history of women’s international cricket. What makes this achievement even more striking is that it came immediately after she had already reset the benchmark the previous year. In 2024, Mandhana scored 1659 runs, at the time the highest-ever tally, only to surpass her own record within twelve months. No other batter has managed such back-to-back dominance at this scale.
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Mandhana’s presence on this list is not limited to one peak season. She features four times, underlining a level of sustained excellence rarely seen in the women’s game. Her earlier tallies of 1291 runs in 2018 and 1290 runs in 2022 already hinted at what was to come. Those seasons were once considered exceptional; in today’s context, they now feel like the foundation years of a batter who would go on to redefine volume scoring.
A major reason for Mandhana’s rise is her evolution as an all-format opener. She has combined technical soundness with an increasingly aggressive scoring range, allowing her to dominate powerplays in ODIs and T20Is while still batting deep into innings. The modern calendar has played its role, but it is Mandhana’s conversion rate turning starts into 50s and hundreds that has separated her from her peers. Her ability to score heavily without long dips in form has made these record-breaking years possible.
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Challenging Mandhana closely is Laura Wolvaardt, whose name appears twice on the list with 1593 runs in 2024 and 1364 runs in 2025. Wolvaardt’s 2024 season was a masterclass in consistency across formats, built on strong returns in ODIs, meaningful Test contributions, and reliable T20I scoring. Unlike Mandhana’s explosive dominance, Wolvaardt’s run-making has often been defined by control, patience, and precision a different batting philosophy, but one just as effective.
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In 2025, Wolvaardt’s tally dipped slightly in overall volume, yet the context made it equally impressive. A significant portion of her runs came in major tournaments, including high-pressure World Cup matches, where she shouldered responsibility as both senior batter and leader. Her presence on this list in consecutive years reflects how the women’s game is now seeing rival greats push each other to unprecedented heights.
The only non-opener in the top seven is Nat Sciver-Brunt, whose 1346-run season in 2022 remains one of the most remarkable all-round batting efforts in recent memory. Operating largely from the middle order, Sciver-Brunt’s run accumulation came with fewer balls faced and often under rescue or finishing scenarios. Her inclusion highlights that while openers benefit from volume, elite quality can still break through positional disadvantages.
What stands out when viewing this list as a whole is how recent it is. Six of the seven entries have come since 2018, and four since 2024 alone. This is not a coincidence. The rise of T20Is, more frequent bilateral series, and the professionalisation of women’s cricket have compressed career timelines. Batters today are playing more matches in fewer years, but only the very best are converting opportunity into record-breaking output.
Yet, context matters. These numbers are not merely the product of quantity. Strike rates have climbed, boundary percentages have improved, and scoring in traditionally quiet middle overs has become more aggressive. Modern batters are no longer content with accumulation alone; they are dictating tempo, forcing bowlers to defend, and turning consistency into dominance.
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Mandhana’s repeated presence at the top of this list signals more than personal excellence it marks a shift in what is now considered possible in women’s cricket. Wolvaardt’s close pursuit ensures this is not a one-player era, while Sciver-Brunt’s entry proves versatility still holds value. Together, these seasons tell the story of a sport that has moved decisively into a high-performance age.
As international schedules continue to expand, these records may yet be challenged. But for now, the numbers stand as milestones of a transformative phase one where women’s cricket has not just grown, but accelerated, leaving behind benchmarks that once felt untouchable.
