Team India’s opening batsman Smriti Mandhana broke an all-time record during the 10th match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 against South Africa. The left-handed batsman achieved the record of scoring most runs by a female batsman in a calendar year, surpassing former Australian cricketer Belinda Clark.
India won its first two matches of the World Cup. After a rain delay of one hour, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt opted to field first in Visakhapatnam on Friday, 9 October. South Africa included Tumi Sekhukhune for Masabata Klass, while India recalled Amanjot Kaur for Renuka Singh Thakur.
Smriti Mandhana breaks all-time record in women’s ODI
Smriti Mandhana created history by breaking Belinda Clark’s long-standing record of most ODI runs in a calendar year. The 29-year-old player achieved this feat by hitting a six off Ayabonga Khaka in the eighth over of India’s innings. Clarke scored 970 runs for Australia in 1997.
Mandhana now has 982 runs in 17 matches at an impressive average of close to 60 and a strike rate of 113.76, including four centuries in 2025. The previous best performance by an Indian woman in a year was by Deepti Sharma, who scored 787 runs in 2017.
If Mandhana adds 18 more runs in the ongoing tournament, she will become the first female cricketer to reach 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year, further cementing her dominance in the format.
Most ODI runs in a calendar year – Women’s cricket
| player | Team | Matchbox | it goes | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smriti Mandhana | India | 17* | 972* | 2025 |
| Belinda Clark | Australia | 16 | 970 | 1997 |
| Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa | 18 | 882 | 2022 |
| debbie hockley | new zealand | 16 | 880 | 1997 |
| Amy Satterthwaite | new zealand | 15 | 853 | 2016 |
| Belinda Clark | Australia | 16 | 842 | 2000 |
| Nat Sciver-Brunt | England | 17 | 833 | 2022 |
| claire taylor | England | 20 | 807 | 2005 |
| Deepti Sharma | India | 20 | 787 | 2017 |
| Mithali Raj | India | 19 | 783 | 2017 |
Smriti Mandhana close to another batting record in World Cup
Smriti Mandhana made a slow start to her Women’s World Cup campaign and scored 8 and 23 in the opening matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The left-hander is playing her third ODI World Cup, having previously played a key role in India finishing runners-up in 2017 in England.
The Maharashtra batsman is also close to the milestone of 5,000 runs in women’s ODIs – a feat achieved by only four others. If Mandhana reaches this milestone, she will be the second Indian player to do so along with Mithali Raj and the fifth player overall.
Mithali (7,805 runs), England’s Charlotte Edwards (5,992 runs), New Zealand’s Suzie Bates (5,896 runs) and West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor (5,873 runs in 170 ODIs) have scored more runs than Mandhana in this format.
Smriti scored two centuries during the ODI series against Australia in September. He showed his explosive form in the series decider at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on 20 September and completed his century in just 50 balls.
Also read: No Virat Kohli! Shubman Gill wants to emulate Rohit Sharma, issued candid comment on becoming ODI captain