IND vs AUS: Smriti Mandhana Becomes Second Indian Player to Score 3000 Runs in Women's T20Is

Star opener Smriti Mandhana joined an elite list of players by completing 3000 runs in T20Is. The southpaw achieved the big feat during the first T20I match against Australia. She took 122 innings to become the second Indian women’s cricketer after Harmanpreet Kaur to reach the mark in T20Is.

Overall, she is the sixth women’s player to enter the 3000-run club in the shortest format of the game.

Most Runs in Women’s T20Is

• Suzie Bates (NZ) – 4118 runs in 152 matches
• Meg Lanning (AUS) – 3405 runs in 132 matches
• Stephanie Taylor (WI) – 3236 runs in 117 matches
• Harmanpreet Kaur (IND) – 3195* runs in 159 matches
• Sophie Devine (NZ) – 3107 runs in 127 matches
• Smriti Mandhana (IND) – 3000* runs in 126 matches

Meanwhile, she is the fourth Indian cricketer after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur to reach the mark.

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Mandhana has been a consistent performer for the India women’s team in the past few years and she also started strong for India in the 142-run chase against Australia at DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. She shared a 100-run plus stand for the opening wicket alongside Shafali Verma to set the platform for India in the moderate chase.

Earlier, India won the toss and elected to bowl against Australia in the first women’s T20I of the three-match series.

“We’re going to bowl first. We’re going in with 4 seamers and 2 spinners, want to use this opportunity and bowl first. This is the right opportunity for us to try some things,” said India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur after calling it correct.

Meanwhile, Titas Sadhu’s career-best 4/17, Deepti Sharma’s 2/24 and Shreyanka Patil 2/19 helped India Women bundle Australia out for a mere 141.

While Sadhu rocked Australia Women with a three-wicket opening burst, Phoebe Litchfield (49) and Ellyse Perry (37) led the fightback for the visitors with a 79-run stand for the fifth wicket.

However, Australia, who lost wickets in clusters on either side of the fifth wicket stand, were bowled out in 19.2 overs.

Titas returned 3-0-8-3 in her first spell in the powerplay, accounting for Beth Mooney (17), Tahlia McGrath (0) and Ashleigh Gardner (0).

The 19-year-old right-arm pacer Sadhu then returned for her final over — 18th of the innings — and found further success dismissing Annabel Sutherland (12) for her fourth scalp of the night.