Smriti Mandhana broke multiple major records as she compiled her second T20I ton in India’s win against Hong Kong, China, at the ongoing Women's Asia Cup.
Mandhana scored a superb 124 runs off 64 deliveries, a knock that included 14 fours and seven maximums, as she overtook Mithali Raj to become the all-time leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket.
The left-handed batter now has 10,880 runs across all formats. She went past the former India captain, who has 10,868 runs across formats.
Meanwhile, Mandhana’s century was her 18th across formats, which also saw her move past former Australia captain Meg Lanning for most centuries in women’s international cricket.
Having made her India debut back in 2013, Mandhana has etched her place in cricketing history as one of India’s finest batters. Having scored her maiden T20I century last year, Mandhana had become the first Indian batter to score a ton across all formats in women’s cricket.
"I didn't know all of this happened. It's hard for my batting, to play the slower bowlers," Mandhana said afterwards.
"They (Hong Kong, China bowlers) were disciplined in the powerplay, bowled really well, and the energy they showed was something we'll learn from.
"But I love batting and am happy to contribute. There are days when you hit balls from the stumps. There are days when you edge one. It's extremely unpredictable."
When asked about her record-breaking exploits, Mandhana paid tribute to her family.
"It's been a lot of things; I would like to dedicate this to my family," she said.
"We are not really aware of them (Hong Kong, China) because we have only seen a few videos, just more about adjusting to the pace."
Having been put in to bat first, the Indian openers added 74 runs for the opening stand off 47 balls before Ruchitha Venkatesh removed Shafali Verma.
While no other Indian batter was able to score past the 11-run mark, Mandhana took the initiative to keep the flow of runs going from one end. Her knock guided India to 193/5 in their quota of 20 overs.
Chasing 194, the Hong Kong, China batters never got going, with the Indian bowlers putting on a convincing display.
Deepti Sharma led the charge with the ball, nabbing three wickets for only nine runs. Meanwhile, Nandani Sharma, Prema Rawat and Shree Charani picked up a brace each.
The win is India's second in a row and puts them atop Group A in Asia Cup 2026.
