Indian opener Smriti Mandhana etched her name in history on Thursday, becoming the highest run-getter in women’s ODIs in a single calendar year during India’s ICC Women’s World Cup clash against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. Mandhana broke Belinda Clark’s 28-year-old record when she struck a six off Ayabonga Khaka in the eighth over of the innings. Clark had amassed 970 runs in 1997, which was a record that stood unmatched until Mandhana’s stellar 2025 run. The 29-year-old southpaw, who began the match on 959 runs, crossed the milestone in style before departing for 23 in the 11th over. Following her dismissal, Mandhana’s 2025 tally stands at 982 runs in 17 matches, scored at an average of 57.76 and a strike rate of 112.22, with four centuries and three fifties. Her highest score this year remains 135, and she has hit 122 fours and 24 sixes. Mandhana’s record-breaking form has been a highlight of India’s unbeaten run in the World Cup so far. Despite modest starts in the earlier games with scores of 8 and 23 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the opener has been India’s most consistent performer in the format this year. She is also inching closer to another milestone, which is the 5,000-run mark in ODIs, which will make her only the second Indian woman and the fifth overall to reach that landmark.Most runs in a calendar year in Women’s ODIs
| Year | Player | Country | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Smriti Mandhana | India | 982 |
| 1997 | Belinda Clark | Australia | 970 |
| 2022 | Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa | 882 |
| 1997 | Deborah Ann Hockley | New Zealand | 880 |
| 2016 | Amy Ella Satterthwaite | New Zealand | 853 |
The match in Visakhapatnam, delayed by rain for an hour, saw South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt opt to field first. India made one change, bringing back Amanjot Kaur for Renuka Singh Thakur, while South Africa included Tumi Sekhukhune in place of Masabata Klaas.
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India will face Australia on Sunday, while South Africa take on Bangladesh in the next fixture at the same venue. For now, though, the day belonged to Smriti Mandhana , whose dominance with the bat has redefined consistency in women’s ODI cricket.
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