Mandhana sets record for highest run-scorer in T20 cricket

The distance from the record was just 8 runs. Indian left-handed opener Smriti Mandhana did not take long to reach that coveted milestone. With a pair of boundaries at the start of the match, she touched the unique height of the world record. Surpassing New Zealand legend Suzie Bates, the Indian batter is now the highest run-scorer in the history of international women's T20 cricket.

Coming out to play against Bangladesh in the Asian Games semi-final at the ground in Japan on Sunday (September 19), Mandhana was standing on the doorstep of creating history. She had already built a mountain of runs across the three formats of women's international cricket. This time, she also placed the crown of the shortest 20-over format on her own head.

Before the match began, Mandhana was 7 runs behind Suzie Bates. In the very first over of the innings, she made a good start by sending Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter's ball to the boundary. Then in the third over, she broke Bates' record by hitting Marufa for another four. To make the historic moment memorable, she struck another spectacular boundary off the very next ball.

Batting with an aggressive mood, Mandhana eventually returned to the pavilion after playing a whirlwind innings of 37 runs off 19 balls. After this innings, her total collection in T20s in 171 innings stood at 4,788 runs. On the other hand, New Zealand's Suzie Bates has dropped to second place with 4,751 runs in 178 innings. In other words, Mandhana needed 7 fewer innings to surpass Bates.

On the day of Mandhana's historic record, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who played an innings of 40 runs against Bangladesh, is in third place on this list. Her tally has accumulated 4,327 runs. Although teammates are chasing her, it is believed that Mandhana's record will remain intact for a long time considering her age and performance.

On the day Mandhana set the record, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur played an innings of 40 runs against Bangladesh. With 4,327 runs, she is in third place on the list.

The only other cricketer to enter the elite club of 4,000 runs in women's T20 cricket is Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu. Playing a devastating unbeaten innings of 83 runs in the other semi-final held on the same day, her total runs are now 4,282.