Our Bureau
Thiruvananthapuram
Smriti Mandhana etched her name in history Sunday, becoming the fastest woman to reach 10,000 international runs by surpassing Mithali Raj’s mark in the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka here. The 29-year-old vice-captain achieved the milestone in just 280 innings, eclipsing Raj’s 291, during a blistering 80 off 48 balls (11 fours, 3 sixes) that powered India to a record 221/2— their highest T20I total—and a 30-run victory.
Mandhana, named Player of the Match, entered the contest with 9,973 runs and crossed the landmark with authority after India won the toss and batted first. Shafali Verma complemented her with 79 off 46 (12 fours, 1 six), laying a 150-plus opening stand before Richa Ghosh’s late flourish sealed the innings. Chasing 222, Sri Lanka managed 191/6, led by Chamari Athapaththu’s 52, as Vaishnavi Sharma claimed 2/24.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur hailed the openers’ “brilliant start,” crediting their powerplay dominance and Ghosh’s finishing for the series-clinching win (now 4-0 up). Mandhana reflected post-match: “After ODIs, switching to T20s was mentally tough, but the plan stayed simple—game plans against them, lots of practice.” She praised Verma’s maturity: “Watching Shafali hit in the powerplay is a treat; our team vibe celebrates everyone’s success.”
Sri Lanka skipper Athapaththu noted batting improvements but rued bowling lapses: “Our youngsters learned facing the world’s best; we need power-hitting.” Mandhana’s feat tops the charts: ahead of Raj, Charlotte Edwards (308 innings), and Suzie Bates (314). Earlier in the series, she became India’s first to score 4,000 T20I runs.
