India’s Smriti Mandhana becomes top run-scorer in women’s cricket

India’s batting superstar Smriti Mandhana has become the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket after smashing a record-breaking 124 off 64 balls in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai. Mandhana overtook former India captain, Mithali Raj, who had been the top international scorer with 10,868 international runs, during her match-winning innings against Hong Kong on Thursday. It also sealed India’s place in the semifinals of the T20 tournament.

The 30-year-old also became the leading century-maker in women’s international cricket, with 18 hundreds across formats, overtaking Australia’s Meg Lanning and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, who have 17 each. Mandhana, who made her India debut in 2013, became the first Indian woman to score international centuries in ‌all three formats when she registered her maiden T20 international hundred last year. She has two centuries each in Tests and T20Is and 14 in one-day internationals.

She also heaped praise on Mithali Raj as a “legend and a role model”. Mandhana’s knock featured 14 fours and seven sixes as India piled up 193-5 before bowling out Hong Kong for 56 to secure a 137-run victory. She said Hong Kong’s disciplined bowling made life difficult early ⁠on.