Smriti Mandhana etched her name further into the history books by becoming the highest run-scorer in women’s T20 international cricket, leading India to a commanding 114-run victory over Bangladesh in their Asian Games semifinal on Sunday.
The match, held at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nagoya, Japan, saw India’s batting lineup dismantle the Bangladeshi defense. While Mandhana contributed a brisk 37 runs off 19 balls, featuring five fours and two sixes, it was opener Shafali Verma who produced the standout innings of the tournament.
Verma scored a stunning maiden T20 international century, finishing on an unbeaten 100 from just 49 balls. Her innings included three fours and nine sixes, with the century arriving off the final ball of India’s 20-over quota. She concluded the day’s play with a total team score of 195 for 4.
With her performance, Mandhana surpassed New Zealand all-rounder Suzie Bates to take the top spot on the all-time run-scoring list. She now stands at 4,788 runs from 171 innings, overtaking Bates’s previous record of 4,758 runs.
This milestone follows a remarkable month for Mandhana, who earlier this month broke the record for the most runs in women’s international cricket across all formats. That feat came during the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai, where she smashed a record-equalling 124 off 64 balls, also overtaking former India captain Mithali Raj’s long-standing aggregate of 10,868 runs.
After their dominant batting display, India’s bowlers restricted Bangladesh to just 81 for the loss of wickets in 15.4 overs, securing a comprehensive win and progression to the gold medal match.
India will face Sri Lanka in the final on Tuesday, a fixture that revisits the Asia Cup final from last Sunday, where India claimed a record-extending eighth continental title. Sri Lanka reached the final by defeating Pakistan by eight wickets, chasing down a target of 178 with 13 balls to spare.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu anchored the Sri Lankan chase with an unbeaten 83 off 50 balls, including seven fours and six sixes. She shared a crucial 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Hasini Perera, who scored 42. For Pakistan, Ayesha Zafar and Shawaal Zulfiqar provided resistance with half-centuries, including a record stand of 115 for the third wicket, which remains the highest for that position in Pakistan’s WT20I history.
Pakistan will now play Bangladesh for the bronze medal, also on Tuesday.
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