5 records broken by the India women’s cricket team in 2024

The Indian Women’s cricket team, over the years, has been a tale of so near yet so far. Having qualified for the WODI World Cup final in 2017 and the T20 World Cup in 2020, the Women in Blue have yet to win an ICC tournament. Despite having an abundance of talent, they haven't quite realized their potential in big events.

The year 2024 turned out to be another rollercoaster year for the Indian Women’s team where they performed brilliantly in the bilateral outings but failed to make it through to the final four in the T20 World Cup which was held in UAE during the month of October.

Overall, the numbers in 2024 across formats paint a pretty good picture as far as the Women in Blue is concerned. They won eight out of their 13 ODI games besides registering 15 wins in 23 T20s. India played a solitary Test this year and won it by a massive margin and also broke several records in the process.

Having said that, let us have a look at five records broken by Indian Women’s cricket team in 2024:

# 1. Highest Test score for any team

India scripted history earlier this year when they posted the highest Test score in the history of Women’s Test cricket. They achieved the feat against South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in June.

After batting first, India posted a mammoth score of 603, going past the previous best of 575 posted by Australia a few months earlier against the same opposition. Youngster Shafali Varma scored an exceptional double-century and was ably supported by Smriti Mandhana who racked up a stupendous 149.

The Indian bowlers were all over the South African batters right from the outset. Off-spinner Sneh Rana spun a web around the opposition batters, bagging eight wickets in the first innings.

South Africa fared a tad better in the second innings, scoring 373 but the target of 37 was never going to pose any threat to the Indian Women. They eventually registered a convincing 10-wicket win.

# 2. Highest T20I total for India

While India has been by far the more dominant side in the recent Test matches they have played, the T20 record also received a boost this year, when they posted their highest-ever score in this format against West Indies earlier this month.

Batting first, India posted a mammoth 217, which is their highest T20I score to date. Smriti Mandhana took the attack to the West Indies bowlers in the powerplay and scored a match-winning 77 off 47 deliveries.

Richa Ghosh provided the late impetus, blasting her way to a 21-ball 54 to help India rack up their highest-ever T20 score. It was a mountain too steep to climb for the West Indies, as they were restricted to 157/9, handing India a massive 60-run win.

# 3. Richa Ghosh- Joint fastest half-centurion in WT20Is

In the same match against West Indies when India racked up their highest ever T20 score, Richa Ghosh also achieved an individual milestone. She became the joint fastest half-centurion in the history of women’s T20 cricket.

Richa went on to score her fifty in just 18 deliveries, equalling the record that had been held earlier by Sophie Devine from New Zealand. The wicket-keeper batter came out all guns blazing and smashed three fours and five sixes during her blazing knock, helping India post 217.

# 4. Smriti Mandhana- Most international runs in a calendar year in women's cricket

It was a year to remember for Indian opener Smriti Mandhana who became the highest run scorer across formats in a calendar year in women's cricket. Mandhana broke Laura Wolvaardt's record during the opening ODI against West Indies at Vadodara where she scored 91.

Wolvaardt had scored 1593 runs in 2024 but Mandhana took it a notch higher and ended the year with 1659 international runs with the highest score of 149 coming against South Africa in the only Test they played earlier this year.

Mandhana was at her phenomenal best and racked up runs against every opposition. She smashed five centuries and 11 fifties during the year. Her phenomenal individual records are also reflected in India’s performance with a high percentage of wins in all three formats.

# 5. Highest opening stand in Women's Test history

We haven't seen too many Test matches in women’s cricket, but in recent times, whenever India has played Test cricket, they have looked the more dominant side. In the only Test they played against South Africa earlier this year, India posted the highest-ever Test score in Women’s cricket history.

It was largely possible due to the massive opening stand between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana who broke the record for the highest opening stand in Women’s Tests.

The duo racked up 292 runs to set up a massive win for India. They broke the previous record of 241 runs by the Pakistan duo of Kiran Baluch and Sajjida Shah.