Not one, but three records were taken down in one historic evening for Smriti Mandhana in Dubai on Thursday, including becoming the highest-ever run-scorer in women’s international cricket as her knock of 124 powered India to 193 for five against Hong Kong in their Women’s Asia Cup Group A match.
Mandhana was the undisputed star for India in her demolition job, delivering a 64-ball masterclass comprising 14 boundaries and seven sixes.
As the Hong Kong bowlers struggled to hit the right length and line, while also being plagued by dropped catches, Mandhana capitalised on it to smash a record 124, en route to which she took down multiple records.
IND VS HKC Live Score, Women’s Asia Cup 2026
This was her 93rd fifty-plus score in women’s international cricket, equalling the legendary Mithali Raj at the top of the chart. Of that tally, 37 have come in the T20I format, which is already a record in women’s cricket, with the next best being 33 by Beth Mooney.
She took 40 deliveries to reach her fifty and just 18 more to notch up her second career T20I century, the most by an Indian women’s cricketer. Overall, it was her 18th century in international cricket, taking her past Australia’s Meg Lanning and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, both of whom are tied at 17.
An over later, as she continued her dominance with a hat-trick of sixes, she surpassed Mithali’s 10,868 runs yet again to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket. She now has 10,880 runs, with her 124-run knock also becoming the highest individual score by a batter in Women’s Asia Cup history, going past Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, who scored 119 not out against Malaysia in Dambulla in 2024.
“I didn’t know all of this happened. It’s really hard for me to play slower bowlers, but credit to them. They were really disciplined in the powerplay. They bowled pretty well, and the kind of energy they showed was something which we all can learn from. Having said that, I just love batting, and I’m happy that I could contribute,” Mandhana said in the mid-innings chat with the broadcaster while speaking about the records.