Smriti Mandhana made history in the first T20I between India and South Africa in Durban on Friday by becoming the highest run-scorer in T20I cricket among Indians, across both men’s and women’s formats. She reached the milestone with a single on just the second ball of the innings.
Before the match, Smriti Mandhana tied with Rohit Sharma at 4,231 runs, achieved in 151 innings. Rohit Sharma had retired from T20Is after the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup. With her performance in this game, Smriti Mandhana moved ahead, taking her total to 4,244 runs from 155 innings, with a strike rate of 124.38. She scored 13 runs off 14 balls in the match.
On the global stage, Smriti Mandhana now stands as the second highest run-scorer in women’s T20Is. The top spot is held by Suzie Bates who has 4,717 runs from 175 innings. In men’s T20Is, Babar Azam leads with 4,596 runs in 136 innings.
Despite the record-breaking moment, India could not secure a win. Batting first at Kingsmead, the team got a steady start with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma adding 46 runs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led the scoring with an unbeaten 47 off 33 balls, helping India post 157/7.
South Africa chased the target successfully, winning by six wickets with one ball remaining. Captain Laura Wolvaardt scored 51 off 39 balls, while Annerie Dercksen added an unbeaten 44 off 34. India’s bowling struggled, conceding 14 extra runs through wides.
With South Africa leading 1-0 in the five-match series, India will aim to bounce back in the second match at the same venue on Sunday.
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