World No. 1 ODI batter Smriti Mandhana has etched her name in cricketing history. On Thursday (October 9), during India’s ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 match against South Africa in Visakhapatnam, the 29-year-old shattered a long-standing record to become the highest run-scorer in a single calendar year in women’s ODIs.
A Record-Breaking Moment
Mandhana needed just 12 runs to break former Australian captain Belinda Clark’s record of 970 runs set in 1997. She reached the milestone in classic style — smacking Ayabonga Khaka’s first ball of the eighth over straight down the ground for a six.
That shot took her to 13 runs for the match and 972 runs in 17 ODIs in 2025, officially pushing Clark’s record to second place.
Most ODI Runs in a Calendar Year (Women’s Cricket)
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs | Year |
| Smriti Mandhana | India | 17* | 972* | 2025 |
| Belinda Clark | Australia | 16 | 970 | 1997 |
| Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa | 18 | 882 | 2022 |
| Debbie Hockley | New Zealand | 16 | 880 | 1997 |
| Amy Satterthwaite | New Zealand | 15 | 853 | 2016 |
| Belinda Clark | Australia | 16 | 842 | 2000 |
| Nat Sciver-Brunt | England | 17 | 833 | 2022 |
| Claire Taylor | England | 20 | 807 | 2005 |
| Deepti Sharma | India | 20 | 787 | 2017 |
| Mithali Raj | India | 19 | 783 | 2017 |
If Mandhana scores 41 more runs in the ongoing match, she will become the first woman ever to score 1000 ODI runs in a single calendar year.
A Year of Dominance
Mandhana’s 2025 season has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the September ODI series against Australia, she scored two centuries, including a blistering 50-ball hundred in the series decider at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Her consistency and aggressive stroke play have made her the pillar of India’s batting lineup. Currently, Mandhana is also India’s second-highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs and is closing in on another milestone — 5000 career ODI runs. She needs 81 more runs to get there.
Most Runs in Women’s ODIs (All-Time)
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs |
| Mithali Raj | India | 232 | 7805 |
| Charlotte Edwards | England | 191 | 5992 |
| Suzie Bates | New Zealand | 173 | 5896 |
| Stafanie Taylor | West Indies | 170 | 5873 |
| Smriti Mandhana | India | 111* | 4932* |
Other Records on the Line
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is also on the verge of making history. If she hits three sixes against South Africa, she will surpass Deandra Dottin’s record of 22 sixes in Women’s ODI World Cup history. Harman currently sits on 20.
Additionally, she needs 84 more runs to reach 1000 runs in Women’s ODI World Cups, a feat achieved by only a select few.
A Defining Era for Indian Women’s Cricket
Smriti Mandhana’s latest achievement isn’t just a personal milestone — it’s another testament to her growing stature as one of the best ODI batters in the world. With World Cup records falling, milestones approaching, and a team in full rhythm, India’s women’s cricket is witnessing a golden run.
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