Smriti Mandhana Eyes Historic 1000 ODI Runs in a Calendar Year Record

India is scheduled to play its first match in the ICC Women#39;s Cricket World Cup, 2025 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati on 30 September and this match may see a milestone, never achieved in women ODI cricket before. For that Smriti Mandhana shall have to continue her purple touch with the bat, which she exhibited fully while scoring 300 runs in 3 innings for India against Australia in the recent three match ODI series. Australia Women earned a 2-1 series win but this didn#39;t come easily. Smriti Mandhana was single handedly responsible for this as she scored 58 (63) in the first ODI, 117 (91) in the second and 125 (63) in the third.

She set numerous records during these knocks, but a milestone overlooked by the statisticians is that Smriti Mandhana became only second to score 900+ runs in ODIs in a calendar year. This has taken her very near to a record, never achieved earlier by any woman cricketer. Guwahati ODI may see Smriti Mandhana to be the first cricketer to score 1000 runs in a calendar year in One Day International cricket. She needs only 72 runs more for this coveted record.

Last year also Smriti scored 747 runs in 13 ODI matches (instrumental in her winning the Wisden title for the Leading Cricketer of the Year) but remained short of the figure of 1000 runs.This year she has so far scored 928 runs in 14 matches at an average of 66.28 and a strike rate of 115.85, with four 100s and fortunately more ODIs are pipeline to be played. This makes her a strong contender to touch the 1000 ODI runs mark in a calendar year.

This record could have been created in 1997, but Belinda Clark of Australia missed the mark by just 30 runs. She scored 970 runs at an average of 80.83, with three centuries by batting in 14 innings of 16 ODIs she played. Incidentally in two ODIs where she didnt bat, she had demoted herself to give others a chance to bat.

After that no one came close to touching the magic figure of 1000 runs. She herself showed glimpses of repeating the 1997 performance in 2000 but could score 842 runs. Three other batters scored 850+ runs but couldnt reach 900 mark: Laura Wolvaardt (882, 2022), Debbie Hockley (880, 1997) and Amy Satterthwaite (853, 2016).

Smriti Mandhana now needs just 43 runs to cross Belinda Clark and 72 runs to reach the 1000 run mark and has a fair chance to record the feat during the ODI World Cup. India is scheduled to play 7/8/9 more ODIs during the tournament.

The 928 runs scored by Smriti Mandhana in ODIs in 2025 so far have been contributed by:

- 249 runs in 3 matches in the Ireland ODI series, in India

- 264 runs in 5 matches in the Sri Lanka ODI Triangular (India, South Africa, Sri Lanka)

- 115 runs in 3 matches in the England ODI series, in England

- 300 runs in 3 matches in the Australia ODI series, in India