Smriti Mandhana shatters all-time WODI record during South Africa clash

VISAKHAPATNAM: India’s top-order batter Smriti Mandhana on Thursday broke Belinda Clark’s all-time record of scoring the most runs in a calendar year in Women’s ODIs.

Mandhana achieved the feat during India’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 match against South Africa, underway here at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, when she smashed Ayabonga Khaka for a six in the eighth over of the home side’s innings.

She entered the fixture with 959 runs, just 11 fewer than Clarke’s tally of 970 runs, which she amassed in 1997.

The left-handed batter went on to score 23 off 32 deliveries with the help of one six and a four before falling victim to Nonkululeko Mlaba in the 11th over, which was enough to take her well past Clarke’s tally.

Mandhana has now scored 982 runs in 18 ODIs at an average of 57.76 with the help of four centuries and three fifties in 2025 and is on course to become the first-ever batter to breach the thousand-run barrier in a calendar year in WODIs.

Most WODI runs in a calendar year

• Smriti Mandhana (India) – 982 runs in 18 innings in 2025

• Belinda Clark (Australia) – 970 runs in 14 innings in 1997

• Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) – 882 runs in 18 innings in 2022

• Debbie Hockley (New Zealand) – 880 runs in 16 innings in 1997

• Amy Satterthwaite (New Zealand) – 853 runs in 14 innings in 2016

Notably, Smriti Mandhana is also closing in on completing 5000 runs in WODIs, having made 4942 in 111 innings at a remarkable average of 47.06, comprising 13 centuries and 32 fifties.

She needs 52 more runs to become only the second Indian to achieve the milestone and fifth overall.