India‘s vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, has officially etched her name into the history books of women’s cricket. During the Women’s World Cup 2025 match against South Africa, the left-handed batter surpassed Australian great Belinda Clark‘s long-standing tally.
The historic breaking of a 28-year-old benchmark by Smriti Mandhana
Mandhana has now set the record for the most One Day International runs scored in a single calendar year, a phenomenal feat that stood for 28 years. The landmark moment came after an hour-long rain delay at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, adding drama to the historic occasion. Despite having a relatively slow start to the World Cup tournament itself, Mandhana’s consistent run-scoring throughout the year has culminated in this magnificent achievement.
After the game faced a delay of an hour due to rain, Mandhana took to the crease in Visakhapatnam at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, determined to leave her mark. Her start was noted as scratchy, indicating some initial struggle for timing against the South African bowlers in the damp conditions. However, she quickly found her rhythm, needing just 13 runs to eclipse the long-standing world record set by Clark back in 1997. Mandhana achieved the milestone with a powerful shot, connecting for a maximum off the 21st delivery she faced in her innings, a truly fitting way to break the record.
This feat moved her past Clark’s previous tally of 970 runs, cementing her place atop the all-time list for the calendar year. It is an incredible accomplishment, especially when juxtaposed with her recent form in the tournament. Despite the magnitude of this achievement, Mandhana’s individual scores in the current World Cup had been modest prior to this match. She was dismissed for only eight runs in the opening game against Sri Lanka. Following that, the vice-captain managed a slightly better score of 23 in the high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Mandhana’s record-setting statistical season for India in Women’s ODI
Mandhana’s new world record season currently stands at an astonishing 972 runs amassed across just 17 innings played throughout the calendar year 2025. Her current batting average is highly impressive, hovering near the 60-run mark at 59.93, demonstrating remarkable consistency over the course of the entire year. The strike rate accompanying this incredible run tally is notably aggressive, recorded at 113.76, highlighting her ability to score quickly and dominate opposition bowling attacks.
Crucially, Mandhana has already registered four centuries and three half-centuries in her ODI 2025 campaign, showcasing her ability to convert starts into massive, match-winning scores.
In comparison, the Australian cricket legend Clark set the previous benchmark of 970 runs in 1997, achieved in quicker 14 innings, boasting an even higher average of 80.83. Clark also secured three centuries and four fifties during her record-setting year, scoring at a strike rate of 98.11, a phenomenal effort for her era. The statistical table clearly outlines the sheer volume of runs Mandhana has piled up, eclipsing Clark by two runs and with her innings still active at the time of the milestone. Other notable performances in the elite list include Laura Wolvaardt‘s 882 runs in 2022 and Debbie Hockley‘s 880 runs in the same 1997 season as Clark.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
