The race for the most runs in women’s T20I cricket has a new leader, and she got there in style. Smriti Mandhana overtook Suzie Bates in September 2026 to become the first woman to pass 4,900 T20I runs. Here is the definitive all-time top 10 as of October 2026, plus the century and single-innings records that define the format.
Most Runs in Women’s T20Is – All-Time Top 10
1. Smriti Mandhana (India) – 4,923 runs
The Indian opener passed Bates during the Asian Games semi-final against Bangladesh on 20 September 2026, needing only 37 runs and getting them off just 19 balls. Across 181 matches, Mandhana has 4,923 runs with two centuries and 37 half-centuries. Her highest score of 124, made off 64 balls against Hong Kong at the 2026 Asia Cup, was her second T20I hundred. No woman has scored more runs in the format.
2. Suzie Bates (New Zealand) – 4,758 runs
Bates held the record for years and finished with 4,758 runs in 186 matches after retiring in June 2026. The White Ferns great was the first woman to 4,000 T20I runs and remains the most-capped New Zealand women’s T20I player of her generation. Her 124 not out is among the great opening knocks in the format’s history.
3. Harmanpreet Kaur (India) – 4,347 runs
India’s captain is the most-capped women’s T20I player ever, playing her 200th match on 21 June 2026. Across 212 matches she has scored 4,347 runs, including a famous 103 — still one of the great World T20 knocks.
4. Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) – 4,311 runs
Athapaththu is the only batter in the women’s top 10 with four T20I centuries. Her 4,311 runs in 173 matches make her the runaway leader for Sri Lanka, and she has carried her country’s batting for over a decade.
5. Beth Mooney (Australia) – 3,821 runs
Australia’s metronome has 3,821 runs in just 126 matches, with two centuries and 31 fifties. Mooney, the current ICC No. 1-ranked women’s T20I batter, became Australia’s leading women’s T20I run-scorer in 2026.
6. Sophie Devine (New Zealand) – 3,817 runs
Devine closed her T20I career at the June 2026 T20 World Cup with 3,817 runs in 158 matches. The former White Ferns captain was the format’s great power-hitter in her prime, and her 105 — New Zealand’s first women’s T20I hundred — opened doors for the generation that followed.
7. Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) – 3,740 runs
Taylor has 3,740 runs in 142 matches with 23 fifties, though she has never made a T20I century. Her 64 not out against Zimbabwe in October 2026 showed she is far from finished.
8. Danni Wyatt-Hodge (England) – 3,671 runs
Wyatt-Hodge’s 124 is England’s great opening statement in the format, and her three T20I centuries are the most by any Englishwoman. Across 187 matches she has 3,671 runs.
9. Esha Oza (UAE) – 3,453 runs
The most remarkable name on this list. Oza has 3,453 runs in 120 matches for the UAE, and her five T20I centuries are the most by any player — male or female — in T20 internationals. Her 158 not out is the highest score on this top-10 list.
10. Meg Lanning (Australia) – 3,405 runs
Lanning retired from internationals in 2023 with 3,405 runs in 132 matches, including 133 not out and two centuries. Nobody won more big matches in the format than the former Australian captain.
The Chasers: Lanning’s Spot Is Under Threat
The No. 10 spot is genuinely live. Shafali Verma sits on 3,384 runs and Hayley Matthews on 3,382 — both within 25 runs of Lanning. One good series from either will rewrite the bottom of the most runs in women’s T20I table, and both are still in their prime.
Most T20I Centuries & the Highest Individual Score
Beyond career totals, the race for the most runs in women’s T20I cricket has produced two landmark records worth knowing:
- Most centuries: Esha Oza (UAE) — 5. Next best are Chamari Athapaththu and Laura Wolvaardt with 4 each.
- Highest individual score: Deepika Rasangika (Bahrain) — 161 not out off 66 balls against Saudi Arabia at the GCC Women’s Gulf Cup in Muscat on 22 March 2022. Bahrain’s 318 for 1 in that match is the highest women’s T20I team total ever. The previous record was Alyssa Healy’s 148 not out.
For context, the ICC women’s T20I batting rankings currently have Beth Mooney at No. 1 — rankings measure current form, while this list is about career weight.
How the T20I Run Race Compares to ODIs
T20I totals grow faster than ODI ones, and the list of the most runs in women’s T20I cricket is younger and more volatile. Compare these names with the most runs in women’s ODI cricket to see which greats dominate both formats. Mandhana, Wolvaardt, Bates and Taylor appear on both lists — the true format-crossing greats.
Want the full format picture? Search most runs in women’s T20I cricket on Google and Smriti Mandhana’s record chase for the latest updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has scored the most runs in women’s T20I cricket?
Smriti Mandhana of India, with 4,923 runs. She overtook Suzie Bates in September 2026 and is the first woman to pass 4,900 T20I runs.
How many runs does Suzie Bates have in women’s T20Is?
Suzie Bates finished with 4,758 runs in 186 matches before retiring in June 2026. She held the all-time record for several years.
Who has the most T20I centuries in women’s cricket?
Esha Oza of the UAE with five — the most by any player, male or female, in T20 internationals.
What is the highest individual score in women’s T20I cricket?
Deepika Rasangika’s 161 not out for Bahrain against Saudi Arabia in March 2022.
Who was the first woman to 4,000 runs in women’s T20Is?
Suzie Bates was the first to reach the milestone; Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Chamari Athapaththu have since joined her.
Is Meg Lanning still in the top 10 for most T20I runs?
Yes — 10th with 3,405 runs — but Shafali Verma (3,384) and Hayley Matthews (3,382) are within 25 runs of her.
Final Thoughts
The most runs in women’s T20I cricket now belong to Smriti Mandhana, and the 5,000-run barrier is the next frontier. With Oza rewriting what associate-nation batters can achieve and the next generation closing in, this all-time list will look different by 2027. Bookmark this page — we update the most runs in women’s T20I numbers after every major series.