India opener Shafali Verma broke the record for the most runs scored in a calendar year in women’s T20Is. Shafali achieved the feat during the Asian Games 2026 gold medal match against Sri Lanka at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, surpassing the previous mark held by South Africa batter Laura Wolvaardt.
Shafali played a key role in India’s bid to defend their Asian Games 2026 gold medal at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Tuesday, September 22. The right-handed batter scored 48 runs off 29 balls, including three fours and as many sixes, as the Women in Blue posted a massive total of 216/3 in the allotted 20 overs.
Shafali Verma Surpasses Laura Wolvaardt's World Record
Shafali Verma entered the Asian Games 2026 final needing 10 runs to surpass Laura Wolvaardt’s tally of 824 runs in 2026. The India opener reached the milestone with her 10th run off the seventh ball she faced, becoming the leading run-scorer in a calendar year in women’s T20I cricket.
The final was Shafali’s 24th T20I appearance of 2026. Shafali has enjoyed an excellent run of form throughout 2026. She had scored 825 runs, including seven half-centuries and one century in her first 23 matches of the year. She also scored an unbeaten 40 off 15 balls against Japan in the quarter-final.
Shafali Verma is at top of the list of batters with the most runs in a calendar year in women’s T20Is. Wolvaardt is at second place with 824 runs in 2026, while Hong Kong’s Natasha Miles occupies third place with 800 runs.
Most Runs in a Calendar Year in Women’s T20Is
| Batter | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | 100s / 50s | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shafali Verma (India) | 24* | 825* | 100* | 1 / 7 | 2026 |
| Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) | 24 | 824 | 126* | 2 / 4 | 2026 |
| Natasha Miles (Hong Kong) | 27 | 800 | 100* | 1 / 6 | 2026 |
| Esha Oza (UAE) | 22 | 779 | 113 | 2 / 3 | 2025 |
| Yasmin Daswani (Hong Kong) | 22 | 779 | 84* | 0 / 5 | 2026 |
| Smriti Mandhana (India) | 22 | 765 | 124 | 1/5 | 2026 |
| Smriti Mandhana (India) | 23 | 763 | 77 | 0 / 8 | 2024 |
| Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) | 22* | 721 | 106* | 1 / 2 | 2026 |
| Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) | 21 | 720 | 119* | 2 / 4 | 2024 |
| Esha Oza (UAE) | 20 | 711 | 114* | 1 / 4 | 2024 |
Smriti Mandhana Crosses 11,000 Runs as India Post Record 216/3
Opening partner Smriti Mandhana became the first woman cricketer to score 11,000 runs in international cricket across all formats. Mandhana made an aggressive start, hitting two boundaries off Sugandika Kumari in the opening over before smashing two sixes in the third.
She and Shafali Verma then added 99 runs for the opening wicket in just 9.2 overs, helping India reach 67/0 at the end of the powerplay. Mandhana brought up her 37th T20I half-century in the 10th over. She continued to attack before falling for 79 off 45 balls, with five fours and seven sixes.
Harmanpreet Kaur then added 19 off 17 balls before her dismissal in the 15th over. Richa Ghosh kept the scoring rate high in the final overs. She smashed an unbeaten 49 off 22 balls, including six fours and three sixes, and scored 17 runs off the final over bowled by Mithali Ayodhya.
India finished on 216/3 in 20 overs, their highest-ever total in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. Chamudi Praboda, Kavisha Dilhari and Sugandika Kumari took one wicket each for Sri Lanka.
