Shafali Verma breaks Smriti Mandhana’s record of most fifty-plus scores in a calendar year

Shafali Verma has broken the record for the most fifty-plus scores a women’s cricketer in a single calendar year. The right-handed opener has reached nine fifty-plus scores in 2026, going past the previous best of eight held by Smriti Mandhana, which was set during the 2024 calendar year.

Shafali reached the milestone on Sunday, October 18, during the second T20I between the Women in Blue and the visiting Zimbabwe Women team at Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. With that ninth score, Shafali moved clear at the top of this record, extending a benchmark that has been raised steadily over recent years.

How did Shafali Verma build up to this record in 2026?

The most prominent moment in Shafali’s 2026 campaign came at the Asian Games. On September 20, she scored 100 not out off 49 balls in the semi-final against Bangladesh, a knock that drew her level with Mandhana’s record of eight fifty-plus scores in a calendar year.

For broader context, Mithali Raj had recorded seven fifty-plus scores in 2018, which stood as a significant benchmark before Mandhana surpassed it in 2024. Hong Kong’s Natasha Miles also recorded seven fifty-plus scores in 2026, placing her third on the list for the current calendar year behind Shafali’s nine and Mandhana’s 2024 tally of eight.

Most 50-plus scores in a calendar year

1. Shafali Verma (India Women) – 9* (2026)

2. Smriti Mandhana (India Women) – 8 (2024)

3. Mithali Raj (India Women) – 7 (2018)

4. Natasha Miles (Hong Kong Women) – 6* (2026)

Where does this record sit in the history of Indian women’s batting?

The progression of this record reflects the improving consistency of India’s top women batters over successive years. Mithali’s seven in 2018 was the standard for several years before Mandhana raised it to eight in 2024. Shafali’s nine in 2026 extends that upward trend further.

Mandhana‘s 2024 record had itself been widely noted as a clear step forward for Indian women’s batting, given that it surpassed a mark that had stood for six years. Her opening partner and newly appointed vice captain surpassing it within two years underlines how competitive the standard among India’s top order has become.