India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has overtaken the legendary Mithali Raj to become the highest run-getter for her team in T20Is. Harmanpreet touched the milestone during the second T20I against Sri Lanka, played in Dambulla on Saturday afternoon.
The 33-year-old batting allrounder has now scored 2372 runs from 123 T20Is at an average of 26.65. She has scored one century and six half-centuries as well.
On the other hand, Mithali, who announced her retirement from cricket earlier this month, scored 2364 runs in 89 matches and averaged 37.52. She scored 17 fifties with a personal best of 97 not out.
Smriti Mandhana is third on the list with 2011 runs from 86 T20Is followed by Jemimah Rodrigues at fourth who has scored 1094 runs from 52 T20Is.
Harmanpreet also holds the record for the highest score by an Indian women cricketer in T20Is having scored 103 against New Zealand in 2018. With 123 matches so far, she has also appeared in most T20Is for India as well.
Currently, she is leading an India squad for a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka for three T20Is and as many ODIs.
India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series having won the first match by 34 runs and the second by five wickets. Harmanpreet was chosen as the played of the match for the 2nd T20I in which she took a wicket before hitting an unbeaten 31 to guide her team over the line.
“Happy to win the game and the series,” she said during the post-match presentation. “It was not an easy track to bat on. The way we managed was good. We batted according to the plan. It is important to stay calm and read the situation better. I am happy we were able to execute our plans.”
The third and final T20I will be played on Monday. It will be followed by a three-match ODI series beginning Friday with all matches to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
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