Star India batter Smriti Mandhana etched her name into the record books by becoming the leading run-scorer for India in T20Is. He achieved the feat during the opening game of the five-match series against South Africa in Durban.
The southpaw entered the contest level with former India captain Rohit Sharma on 4,231 runs and moved ahead with a brief stay at the crease, finishing on 4,244 runs overall. He has reached the score in 155 innings, built at an average of 30.31 and a strike rate of 124.38, alongside a century and 33 half-centuries.
| Player | Runs |
| Smriti Mandhana | 4244 |
| Rohit Sharma | 4231 |
| Virat Kohli | 4188 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 3869 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 3272 |
The milestone also places her second on the all-time list in women’s T20Is, behind Suzie Bates, who leads with 4,717 runs. In the men’s side of the business, Babar Azam holds the record for most runs in the format in international cricket.
South Africa beat India by six wickets
While Mandhana’s achievement stood out, the match itself tilted in favour of South Africa. Chasing a target of 158, the hosts completed the job with six wickets in hand. Laura Wolvaardt provided stability at the top with a composed 51, guiding the innings through key phases. Annerie Dercksen then ensured there were no late complications, finishing unbeaten on 44.
Earlier, India’s innings had moments of promise but lacked acceleration at the end. Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten on 47, holding the innings together, while Shafali Verma contributed 34 and Jemimah Rodrigues added 36. The total of 157 for seven, however, left room for the opposition to chase.
South Africa’s bowling effort was shaped by Ayabonga Khaka, who claimed three wickets while conceding just 16 runs. Tumi Sekhukhune chipped in with two scalps, and Nonkululeko Mlaba picked up one.
Meanwhile, the two sides will meet again at Kingsmead on Sunday, with India looking to respond quickly and South Africa aiming to extend their early advantage in the series.
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