Did Smriti Mandhana beat Virat Kohli in making the fastest ODI runs in cricket?

Whenever one says the Indian Cricket Team, it has become synonymous to the Men’s Cricket Team. But of late, with their struggle, hard work and pure talent, the Women’s Cricket Team has not only made their presence felt but has come to the limelight after winning the Champions Trophy at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. The Vice-Captain and one of the most prolific players on the team Smriti Mandhana has several accolades to her name including being the first female cricketer to have scored a century in all formats. But what really gets the audience hooked is knowing that Smriti may have even surpassed Virat Kohli by making the fastest ODI runs.

Who is Smriti Mandhana?

Smriti was born in Maharashtra to Shrinivas Mandhana a chemical distributor and Smita Mandhana, a housewife. Both her father and brother, Shravan were cricket players at the district level. While her brother now works as a bank manager, she took up cricket as her career. Her interest in the sport piqued when she was nine years old and her passion and hard work led to her selection for Maharashtra’s under -15 team and by the time she was 11, she was playing for the Under-19 team. Her major breakthrough came in 2013 when she became the first Indian woman to score a double century in one day off 150 balls. From then on, there was no looking back for this Arjuna Awardee.

Thereafter came matches after matches where she made wonders and took female cricket to newer heights. From her Test debut in 2014 against England in Wormsley Park, to the second ODI in Australia in 2016, to the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup finals and Women’s T20Is against New Zealand in 2019, Smriti Mandhana was the stand out name on the team.

But what many probably don’t know is that while Virat Kohli is known to have reached 5000 runs in 114 innings throughout his career, Mandhana is said to have reached 5000 runs in the ODI at just 112 innings; two ahead of Kohli. This makes her the fastest Indian to reach 5000 runs surpassing Virat Kohli.

With India’s win at the Women’s World Cup 2025, a new light has dawned on the game and would inspire women to push their limits and take up cricket as a career.

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