Smriti Mandhana Makes History: Equals Mithali Raj’s Record and Smashes T20I Records in Asia Cup Masterclass
DUBAI: Indian cricket sensation Smriti Mandhana reached a monumental milestone in her illustrious career on Thursday, drawing level with the legendary Mithali Raj for the most 50-plus scores in women’s international cricket. The feat occurred during a dominant performance against Hong Kong China in the Women’s Asia Cup.
Mandhana, known for her elegant stroke play, brought up her half-century off just 40 balls, capping the landmark moment by hoisting Iqra Sahar for a massive six over deep backward square-leg. This innings marked her 93rd 50-plus score across all international formats, officially tying her with the record long held by former Indian captain Mithali Raj, who retired from the international stage in 2022.
A Historic Acceleration
While the milestone was significant in itself, Mandhana was far from finished. After leveling the record, the left-handed opener shifted gears with devastating effect. She required just 17 additional deliveries to race from 50 to 100, bringing up her second T20I century in a mere 57 balls.
With this feat, Mandhana became the first Indian woman to record two T20I centuries, adding to her maiden ton against England at Trent Bridge. Her final tally of 124 off 64 balls—a knock embellished with 14 boundaries and seven sixes—now stands as the highest individual score in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, eclipsing Chamari Athapaththu’s 2024 record of 119.
Furthermore, this century pushed her total international century tally to 18, officially moving her past batting icons Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt, who each hold 17.
Dominance with Shafali
The record-breaking day was shared with her long-time opening partner, Shafali Verma. The duo’s prolific opening partnership added another layer to their storied collaboration, marking their 29th 50-plus stand in T20Is—the highest by any pair in the history of the format.
Across all international formats, the pair has now registered 44 50-plus partnerships, comfortably outperforming the next best pair, New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates (37).
Following this extraordinary performance, Mandhana has also solidified her dominance in the shortest format, extending her lead at the top of the list for most 50-plus scores in women’s T20Is with a career tally of 37.
Most 50-plus scores in women’s international cricket:
- 93 – Smriti Mandhana / Mithali Raj
- 80 – Charlotte Edwards
- 79 – Suzie Bates
- 74 – Stafanie Taylor / Laura Wolvaardt
