Smriti Mandhana creates history, becomes first Indian batter to achieve landmark women’s T20I feat

Smriti Mandhana etched her name in the record books by becoming the first Indian batsman to achieve the landmark milestone in Women’s T20Is. The Indian star’s latest success underscores her consistency, class and growing legacy in international women’s cricket.

To an already glittering career, Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has added what could be her most important T20I trophy ever. In the first match of the five-match series against Sri Lanka at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, the left-handed opener created history by becoming the first Indian batsman to cross the 4,000-run milestone in the Women’s T20 International Championship.

Going into the series opener just 18 runs away from this milestone, Mandhana is on pace to break the record. On a batting-friendly pitch in Visakhapatnam, he reached the 4,000-run mark during the powerplay and slotted the ball through the covers to the cheers of the home fans.

Major Milestone unlocked

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana becomes the first Indian and the only player to complete runs in women’s T20Is #TeamIndia It becomes 55/1 after 6 overs.

Updates https://t.co/T8EskKzzzW #INDvSL | @mandhana_smriti | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/pejpxDS2FP

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 21, 2025

By achieving this milestone, Mandhana joined an exclusive global group and became only the second woman to reach 4,000 T20I runs after legendary New Zealand player Suzie Bates.

This achievement marks the culmination of an outstanding 2025 for Mandhana. Just weeks ago he played a pivotal role in India’s historic ODI World Cup victory and finished the tournament as one of the top scorers. His return to the shortest format has been effortless, maintaining the form in which he previously set the world record for most T20I runs in a single calendar year in late 2024.

While Mandhana’s personal success stands out, the series itself is a vital stepping stone for India’s preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup in England. “Women in Blue”, under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur, who also celebrated her 350th national team championship in the same match, aims to carry the momentum of ODI success to the T20 format.

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