Asian Games 2026: Smriti Mandhana breaks T20I run record; Sri Lanka crush Pakistan to reach final
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Asian Games 2026: Smriti Mandhana breaks T20I run record; Sri Lanka crush Pakistan to reach final")
Asian Games Smriti Mandhana breaks T20I run record; SL crush PAK to reach final Photograph: (X/@BCCIWomen)
Smriti Mandhana becomes the all-time leading T20I run-scorer as India reach the Asian Games final. Plus, Chamari Athapaththu powers Sri Lanka past Pakistan.
Talismanic Indian women’s team opener Smriti Mandhana broke the record for most T20I runs, going past New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, during the ongoing semifinal against Bangladesh at the 2026 Asian Games. Opening the batting with Shafali Verma – who also broke the record for hitting the most T20I sixes during this game – Mandhana created history by becoming the all-time leading run-scorer in the shortest format. She sits at the top with 4788 runs, 30 more than Bates.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu smashed an unbeaten 83 off 50 balls to help her team beat Pakistan and qualify for the gold medal match.
After India won the toss and elected to bat first, the two openers unleashed the attack on the Bangladeshi bowlers inside the Powerplay. Early in the innings, Mandhana went past Bates to become the leading T20I run-scorer, with Shafali going about smashing boundaries for fun. The two added 72 for the first wicket inside the first six overs, before Mandhana departed for a quickfire 37 off 19 balls. Gunalan Kamalini fell for three next, with Shafali and captain Harmanpreet Kaur continuing to hurt Bangladesh.
Shafali's 49-ball ton propels India to 195
While Shafali completed her maiden T20I hundred seven years after her T20I debut, Harmanpreet failed to capitalise on the start, getting stumped for 40 off 33 balls. Verma, who completed her fifty in just 24 balls, notched up India’s first hundred in this competition in just 49 balls, hitting nine sixes and three fours.
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India posted 195 for four in the first innings.
Athapaththu shines as Sri Lanka crush Pakistan
Chasing 178 in 20 overs, Sri Lanka needed a strong foundation at the top to set the tone, and who better to do that than the captain and team’s veteran opener Athapaththu. Alongside her fellow opener Imesha Dulani, the left-handed batter added 36 for the first wicket and 95 for the second with Hasini Perera, who scored 42 off 26 balls.
Chamari Athapaththu remained unbeaten on 83 as Sri Lanka completed the run chase with eight wickets and 13 balls remaining.
