Smriti Mandhana Creates History at Women’s Asia Cup With Record-Breaking 124
Smriti Mandhana has rewritten the record books at the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, producing a spectacular 124-run innings against Hong Kong that delivered several historic milestones in a single night.
The India vice-captain smashed 124 from just 64 balls, including 14 fours and seven sixes, as India posted 193/5 before bowling Hong Kong out for just 56. India won the Group A match by 137 runs.
But the victory was only part of the story. Mandhana's innings transformed the match into a landmark moment in women's cricket.
Mandhana Becomes Women's International Cricket's Leading Run-Scorer
The biggest milestone came when Mandhana moved past former India captain Mithali Raj's 10,868 international runs.
Her 124 took her career tally to 10,880 runs, making her the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket across all formats.
Mandhana now leads a list that includes Mithali Raj, New Zealand's Suzie Bates, England's Charlotte Edwards and West Indies' Stafanie Taylor.
The achievement is particularly significant because Mithali had held the record for years and established one of the defining benchmarks in women's cricket.
A Record-Breaking T20I Century
Mandhana's century itself was another historic achievement.
She reached 100 from 57 balls and eventually finished with 124.
It was her second T20I century, making her the first Indian woman to score multiple T20I hundreds. Her previous T20I century came against England in 2025, when she scored 112.
Her latest hundred also took her overall international century tally to 18, moving her ahead of Australia's Meg Lanning and South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, who had 17 each.
Highest Score in Women's T20 Asia Cup History
Mandhana's 124 also established another tournament record.
Her innings became the highest individual score in Women's T20 Asia Cup history, surpassing Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu's unbeaten 119 against Malaysia in 2024.
Mandhana's performance therefore combined a global career milestone with a tournament record.
India Dominate Hong Kong
Mandhana's explosive innings gave India a commanding platform.
India finished on 193/5, with Mandhana providing the overwhelming majority of the momentum at the top of the order.
India then produced an equally dominant performance with the ball.
Hong Kong were dismissed for 56 in 16.2 overs, giving India a massive 137-run victory. Deepti Sharma led the bowling attack with 3/9, while Shree Charani and Prema Rawat also contributed with the ball.
The result strengthened India's position in the tournament and secured their place in the semi-finals.
A Milestone Mandhana Did Not Expect
Despite producing one of the most important innings of her career, Mandhana admitted after the match that she was not aware of the records she had broken while batting.
She said she had not known about the milestones until she was informed after the match. She dedicated the achievement to her family.
That reaction underlined the focus with which she approached the innings: rather than chasing records, Mandhana concentrated on building India's total and attacking the Hong Kong bowling attack.
From 50 to 124
Mandhana's innings was also a story of acceleration.
She reached her half-century from 39 balls, initially taking time to assess an unfamiliar Hong Kong attack.
Once settled, however, the India opener dramatically increased the tempo.
She began finding boundaries regularly and eventually brought up her century from only 57 deliveries.
The final score of 124 from 64 balls came at a strike rate of more than 190, making it one of the most destructive innings of her international career.
A New Chapter in Indian Women's Cricket
Mandhana's achievement comes at a significant stage in the growth of women's cricket.
Indian women's cricket has already been shaped by pioneers such as Mithali Raj, whose longevity and run-scoring established benchmarks for future generations.
Now Mandhana has moved beyond one of Mithali's most important statistical records.
The change is symbolic as well as statistical: the player who once followed the path created by India's earlier generation is now establishing records of her own.
India Turn Attention to Pakistan
After the historic victory over Hong Kong, India's attention turns toward one of the tournament's biggest fixtures.
India are scheduled to face Pakistan on September 5 in the Women's Asia Cup.
Mandhana's record-breaking performance gives India significant momentum heading into the high-profile contest.
The focus will now shift from individual milestones back to India's pursuit of another Asia Cup title.
A Night to Remember
Smriti Mandhana's 124 was far more than a century.
It made her the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket, gave her the highest individual score in Women's T20 Asia Cup history, produced her second T20I century, and took her to 18 international hundreds.
And she did it while helping India secure a massive victory.
At the 2026 Women's Asia Cup, Smriti Mandhana didn't just score runs — she changed the record books.
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