Indian opener Smriti Mandhana etched her name in cricket history on Thursday by breaking a long-standing world record during India’s third match of the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup against South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Mandhana, who made 23 runs off 32 balls, surpassed Belinda Clark’s 28-year-old record for the most runs scored in a calendar year in Women’s ODIs. Clark had set the record back in 1997, scoring 970 runs in 14 innings. Mandhana’s tally now stands at 982 runs in 17 innings, averaging an impressive 57.76.

Despite the milestone, Mandhana’s innings on the day didn’t quite go as she would’ve hoped. She began solidly, forming a 55-run opening partnership with youngster Pratika Rawal after South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl. However, once the pair departed, India’s middle order faltered under tight South African bowling, losing key wickets in the middle overs.

The 29-year-old left-hander’s remarkable consistency over the past two years has firmly established her as one of the greatest modern-day batters in the format. In 2025 alone, Mandhana has four centuries and three half-centuries, with a highest score of 135. Interestingly, her tally of four centuries this year is the joint-second most in a calendar year, only behind South Africa’s Tazmin Britz, who has five centuries in 2025. Mandhana had also scored four centuries in 2024, which was the record before Britz surpassed it this season.

ALSO SEE: ICC Women's World Cup 2025: When 90s hit harder than 100s: Dhoni, Rahul & Richa’s unforgettable world cup knocks

Mandhana’s Record-Breaking Feat Highlights a Remarkable Year Despite World Cup Struggles

In her illustrious ODI career so far, Mandhana has accumulated 4,942 runs in 111 matches at an average of over 46, including 13 centuries, the most by any opener and the joint-second most by any player in women’s ODIs. She is now the fifth-highest run-scorer in the history of the format.

However, while her year-long consistency has been extraordinary, Mandhana’s form in the ongoing World Cup has been below her usual standards. She has struggled to convert starts into big scores, and her early dismissals have put additional pressure on the likes of Rawal and Harleen Deol. The slow starts have affected India’s scoring rate in the powerplay, allowing opponents to claw back into matches, as South Africa managed to do in Visakhapatnam, dismissing the top order cheaply after the 10-over mark.

Even so, breaking a record that stood unchallenged for nearly three decades is no small feat. With at least five matches left in India’s World Cup campaign, Mandhana now stands on the brink of becoming the first woman ever to cross 1,000 ODI runs in a single calendar year, a milestone that would further cement her legacy as one of the greatest batters of her generation.

Most Runs in a Calendar Year in Women’s ODIs