In a dazzling display of batting mastery, Indian cricket sensation Smriti Mandhana has rewritten history by smashing the long-standing record for the most runs scored in a single calendar year in women’s ODIs. Surpassing the legendary Australian Belinda Clark’s 28-year-old mark of 970 runs.
- Smriti Mandhana: Indian opener Smriti Mandhana made history on October 9, 2025, by becoming the highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs in a single calendar year, breaking the 28-year-old record previously held by Australian great Belinda Clark. Mandhana surpassed Clark’s mark of 970 runs set in 1997 during India’s ICC Women’s World Cup match against South Africa in Visakhapatnam by striking a six off Ayabonga Khaka. Mandhana’s 2025 total reached 982 runs in 17 matches at an average of 57.76 with a strike rate of 112.22, including four centuries and three fifties. This record-breaking feat highlights her outstanding form throughout the year and her pivotal role in India’s unbeaten run in the World Cup. She is also nearing a major milestone of 5,000 career ODI runs, becoming only the second Indian woman to achieve it.
- Belinda Clark: Belinda Clark held the record for the second most runs scored in a calendar year in women’s ODIs with 970 runs in 1997, a record that stood for 28 years. She achieved this remarkable feat by playing 16 matches and also made the first-ever double century in women’s ODIs that year, scoring an unbeaten 229. Clark’s record was finally surpassed in 2025 by India’s Smriti Mandhana, who surpassed Clark’s tally with 972 runs in 17 matches, setting a new benchmark in women’s ODI cricket history. Clark remains a legendary figure for her outstanding batting performances during that era.
- Laura Wolvaardt: South African opening batter Laura Wolvaardt holds the record for the third most runs scored in a calendar year in women’s ODIs, amassing 882 runs in 18 innings in 2022. Her stellar performance includes one century and eight half-centuries at an average of 49.00, making her one of the top run-scorers in recent women’s ODI cricket history. Wolvaardt’s tally ranks just behind Smriti Mandhana, who set a new record in 2025 with 982 runs, and Australia’s Belinda Clark, who scored 970 runs in 1997, cementing Wolvaardt’s place among the elite batters in the game.
- Deborah Hockley: Deborah Hockley ranks as the fourth-highest run-scorer in a calendar year in women’s One Day Internationals, having scored 880 runs in 16 innings back in 1997. Her prolific run-scoring during that period set a high benchmark in women’s cricket, showcasing her consistency and skill at the crease. This achievement remains a significant part of her legacy as one of New Zealand’s finest women cricketers and a true pioneer in the sport’s history for her country and globally.
- Amy Satterthwaite: Amy Satterthwaite holds the distinction of scoring the 5th most runs in a calendar year in women’s ODIs, amassing 853 runs in 2016. That year, she displayed remarkable consistency and class, playing 14 innings with an impressive average of 85.30, including three centuries and four fifties, with a highest score of 137* against Pakistan. Her performance was pivotal for New Zealand as she anchored many innings, proving herself an indispensable part of the batting lineup during that season.
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This feat highlights Mandhana’s extraordinary consistency and dominant presence in international women’s cricket for India in 2025.
