Most runs in women’s T20Is: Suzie Bates, Smriti Mandhana top the charts

The first T20I in women’s cricket was played between England and New Zealand in August 2004, more than six months before the first men’s T20I between Australia and New Zealand in February 2005.

But the first five years saw only 20 T20Is being played between women’s teams. The first T20 World Cup for Women in 2009, held in England, brought about a gradual change to this scenario as the teams played a total of 30 T20Is in a single year.

From then on women’s cricket has seen a rise in the number of T20Is being played. A total of eight T20 World Cups have been played among the women's teams before the 2024 edition with Australia winning six of them. England and West Indies have won the title once each.

With more matches being played at the international level and domestic T20 leagues being introduced, the women started mastering the shortest form of the game. Power hitting, innovations and all the traits of batting developed in the women’s game too.

Batters caught up with the trend quickly and started making high scores consistently and also at improved strike rates. Teams gave more emphasis to power-hitting and the entertaining cameos made their way similar to the men’s game.

Teams based their strategies around power hitters who could go out and smash from ball one. This has seen teams slowly but steadily achieving higher scores in T20Is. All-rounders are also coming to the fore to increase the balance and depth of teams, which is a must in the shorter format of the game.

In this article, we glance through the list of batters with the most runs in women’s T20Is.

Most runs in women’s T20Is: Know the players on the list

Suzie Bates | 4461 runs

Suzie Bates of New Zealand leads the charts for most runs in T20I cricket among women. She has a tally of 4461 runs from 163 visits to the crease at a healthy average of 29.54 and a strike rate of 109.01.

Bates, who made her T20I debut for New Zealand in 2007, has 29 scores of fifty or more in the shortest format that also includes a century. Her only century in T20Is came against South Africa Women in a tri-nation series match at Taunton in June 2018. 

Incidentally, that match also saw New Zealand notch their highest aggregate of 216/1 in T20Is. Bates smashed 16 fours and three sixes to top-score with an unbeaten 124 off just 66 balls in the match that the Kiwis won comfortably by 66 runs.

Smriti Mandhana | 3505 runs

India’s Smriti Mandhana is second on the list of highest run-getters in women’s T20Is. The southpaw has accumulated 3505 runs from 142 matches at an average of 28.72 and an impressive strike rate of 122.38.

Smriti, who made her T20I debut against Bangladesh in April 2013, has scored a total of 26 fifties in T20Is. Her best individual score came against Ireland Women in the 2023 T20 World Cup at Gqeberha. 

She smashed a 56-ball 87 which included nine fours and three sixes. She finished as the top-scorer in that match which India won by five runs and was also adjudged the Player of the Match.

Harmanpreet Kaur | 3441 runs

Current Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur comes next on the list with a tally of 3441 runs from 174 matches at an average of 27.97 and a strike rate of 107.32. 

Harmanpreet, who made her international debut against England Women in June 2009, is the only Indian cricketer, and sixth overall, to have made an appearance in all T20 World Cups from the inaugural edition in 2009 till 2024.

The middle-order batter has a century and 12 fifties to her name with her best knock of 103 coming against New Zealand in the 2018 T20 World Cup. The whirlwind knock, which came in just 51 balls, had seven fours and eight sixes and helped India beat the Kiwis by 34 runs in the group-stage match. 

Meg Lanning | 3405 runs

Former Australian captain and multiple World Cup winner Meg Lanning is fourth on the list of highest run-getters in women’s T20Is. She amassed 3405 runs from 132 matches at an excellent average of 36.61 and a strike rate of 116.37.

Lanning, who is also Australia’s top run-getter in T20Is, has two hundreds and 15 fifties to her name with her best individual score coming against arch-rivals England in July 2019. 

Lanning smashed a 51-ball century en route to remain unbeaten on 133 off 63 balls. Her innings was studded with 17 fours and four sixes and powered Australia to their highest aggregate in T20Is, 226/3 in 20 overs.

Stafanie Taylor | 3382 runs

West Indies’ T20 World Cup-winning captain Stafanie Taylor is fifth on the list with 3382 runs from 122 matches at an impressive average of 35.60 and a strike rate of 100.86.

Stafanie announced her arrival in T20Is in style with her best knock coming in that match against Ireland Women in June 2008. She smashed a 49-ball 90, which included 12 fours and two sixes, to power West Indies home by 75 runs in the contest. 

Stafanie has a tally of 22 fifties in T20Is and played a key role in West Indies’ only T20 World Cup win in 2016. She led from the front with a tally of 246 runs, the highest in that edition by any batter, and also picked up eight wickets and was adjudged the Player of the Tournament.

Photo credit: Imago