Harmanpreet Kaur overtakes Mithali Raj to become India women’s leading T20I runscorer

India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, during the second women’s T20 game against Sri Lanka on Saturday, became India’s leading T20I runscorer in women’s T20Is, overtaking former captain Mithali Raj. Kaur has scored 2,372 runs in 123 T20I games at an average of 27 while Raj had scored 2,364 runs in 89 T20Is at an average of 38.

Harmanpreet Kaur achieved this feat 16 days after Raj bid adieu to international cricket.

“Cricket is a dream and when I started off my career I had no idea that women’s cricket existed but the only name ever told or heard was yours @M_Raj03 Di. You sewed the seed for all the young girls to take up this sport and dream big. Wish you the best in life,” Harmanpreet Kaur wrote at the time while paying a moving tribute to Mithali Raj. 

Also Read: Taapsee Pannu’s Shabaash Mithu promises to be an inspiring biopic on Mithali Raj. Watch trailer

India beat Sri Lanka on Saturday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. India’s impressive bowling display choked Sri Lanka to a paltry 125/7. In reply, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana’s knocks of 31 and 39 respectively guided India to a 5-wicket victory. 

Also Read: Shabaash Mithu: 10 records held by India legend Mithali Raj

Star India opener Smriti Mandhana hailed her side’s bowling unit for getting the job done as they clinched the three-match Women’s T20 International series against Sri Lanka with a five-wicket win in the second match here on Saturday. The final match of the T20I series is slated on Monday, before the three-match ODI series begins at Pallekele on July 1.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka (Vishmi Gunaratne 45, Chamari Athapaththu 43; Deepti Sharma 2-34)

India (Smriti Mandhana 39, Harmanpreet Kau 31*; Inoka Ranaweera 2-18, Oshadi Ranasinghe 2-32)