India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana has etched her name in cricket history by surpassing Rohit Sharma’s long-standing T20 International record. The achievement came during the opening match of the India Women vs South Africa Women T20I series in Durban.

India Women Face Defeat in High-Scoring Encounter

The first T20I of the series was played at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban, where South Africa Women defeated India Women by 6 wickets. Batting first after losing the toss, India managed to post 157 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a competitive total, the target was chased down by the hosts in 19.1 overs.

Mandhana’s Early Dismissal and Historic Milestone

Smriti Mandhana had a brief outing in the match, scoring just 13 runs before getting dismissed. However, the innings proved historic in a bigger context. With those runs added to her career tally, Mandhana moved ahead of Rohit Sharma to become India’s highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals across both men’s and women’s cricket.

Surpassing Rohit Sharma’s Legacy

Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, had accumulated 4231 runs in 159 matches. His record stood as the highest for India in the format until Mandhana overtook it. The left-handed batter now has 4244 runs in 161 matches, making her India’s leading run scorer in T20 Internationals.

Top Women’s T20I Run-Scorers List

In women’s T20 International cricket, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates remains at the top with 4717 runs. Smriti Mandhana now holds the second position with 4244 runs, followed by India’s Harmanpreet Kaur with 3869 runs. Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine also feature among the top five batters.

Match Overview: India vs South Africa

India’s innings saw contributions from Shafali Verma with a quick 34 and Jemimah Rodrigues scoring 36. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur anchored the innings with an unbeaten 47. In response, South Africa were led by captain Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 51 runs, while Anneke Bosch contributed 44 to guide the team to victory. South Africa now leads the series 1-0.

Second T20I to Decide Momentum

The second T20 International between India and South Africa will be played at the same venue on April 19. India will look to bounce back and level the series, while South Africa aim to continue their winning momentum.