Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma rewrite record books as India thump Bangladesh in Asian Games semis

Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana produced landmark performances as India crushed Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semifinals of the Asian Games in Japan on September 20. Mandhana became the leading run‑scorer in WT20Is, surpassing former New Zealand captain Suzie Bates’ tally of 4758.

The left‑hander struck a brisk 19‑ball 37 at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin and now has 4788 runs in the format. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur sits third on the all‑time list with 4287 runs, followed by Chamari Athapaththu (4282) and Sophie Devine (3817).

Most runs in WT20Is

Shafali, meanwhile, carved out a series of records of her own as she registered her maiden century in white‑ball internationals. She hammered 100 off just 49 balls, hitting three fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 204.8. She is only the third India player to score a WT20I hundred, joining Mandhana (124 vs Hong Kong, 112 vs England) and Harmanpreet (103 vs New Zealand).

Shafali also became the joint‑fastest centurion for India in WT20Is, matching Harmanpreet’s 49‑ball effort in Providence in 2018. Her nine sixes equalled the world record for the most in a WT20I innings by a player from an ICC full‑member nation, a mark also held by Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin.

She is now on the verge of breaking Laura Wolvaardt’s record for the most WT20I runs in a calendar year. Wolvaardt has scored 824 runs in 2026, while Shafali has already amassed 815.

Most runs in a calendar year in WT20Is