The record for the most fifty-plus runs scored by a female cricket player in a single year has been surpassed by Shafali Verma. The right-handed opener has scored nine fifty-plus runs in 2026, surpassing Smriti Mandhana’s previous best of eight, which was set in the year 2024.
At Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 18, during the second Twenty20 International between the Women in Blue and the visiting Zimbabwe Women team, Shafali achieved the milestone. Shafali advanced to the top of this record with that ninth score, setting a new standard that has been gradually increased in recent years.
How did Shafali Verma achieve this 2026 record?
The Asian Games were the most significant event in Shafali’s 2026 campaign. She tied Mandhana’s record of eight fifty-plus scores in a year on September 20 when she scored 100 not out off 49 balls in the semi-final match against Bangladesh.
In a larger context, Mithali Raj achieved seven scores of fifty or higher in 2018, which was a noteworthy standard before Mandhana exceeded it in 2024. After Shafali’s nine and Mandhana’s eight in 2024, Natasha Miles of Hong Kong finished third on the list for the current year with seven fifty-plus scores in 2026.
Most 50-plus scores in a calendar year
Shafali Verma (India Women) – 9* (2026)
Smriti Mandhana (India Women) – 8 (2024)
Mithali Raj (India Women) – 7 (2018)
Natasha Miles (Hong Kong Women) – 6* (2026)
The record’s development shows how India’s best female batters have become more reliable over time. Before Mandhana increased it to eight in 2024, Mithali’s seven in 2018 was the benchmark for a number of years. That upward trend continues with Shafali’s nine in 2026.
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Given that it exceeded a six-year-old record, Mandhana’s 2024 record was widely regarded as a significant advancement for Indian women’s batting. The fact that her opening partner and recently appointed vise captain surpassed it in just two years demonstrates how competitive the top order in India has become.
