One of the most revered and prominent sports in the world, cricket was introduced in the 18th century as a “gentleman’s game”. While cricket has been majorly influenced by male cricketers since its inception, it is only in the past few decades that women cricketers have made a strong impact on the cricket field. With iconic women cricketers including Smriti Mandhana, Sarah Taylor, Hayley Matthews, Beth Mooney, Laura Wolvaardt, Shafali Verma and many more emerging as the leading figures of women’s cricket, the format has witnessed an incredible increase in popularity and fame. Additionally, with highly competitive women’s cricket leagues, including the Women’s Cricket World Cup, ICC Women’s Championship and Women’s Premier League, it has largely elevated the stature of women cricketers, compelling the world of cricket to believe in their calibre and phenomenal skills. Smriti Mandhana’s team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clinched their finals trophy in the most recent Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, which was commemorated by millions of cricket fans around the world.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the top five female cricketers who have managed to etch their names as the most prominent female cricketers and created history by smashing the highest number of ODI runs.
| Runs | Batter | Innings | Average | 100s | 50s | Period |
| 7,805 | Mithali Raj | 211 | 50.68 | 7 | 64 | 1999–2022 |
| 5,992 | Charlotte Edwards | 180 | 38.16 | 9 | 46 | 1997–2016 |
| 5,639 | Suzie Bates | 152 | 41.46 | 13 | 34 | 2006–2024 |
| 5,519 | Stafanie Taylor | 148 | 43.80 | 7 | 40 | 2008–2023 |
| 4,844 | Belinda Clark | 114 | 47.49 | 5 | 30 | 1991–2005 |
Advertisement
-
Mithali Raj
Former Indian cricketer and skipper of the Indian women’s national cricket team Mithali Dorai Raj is considered to be one of the most prominent cricketers in the history of female cricket. Often referred to as “the female Tendulkar of Indian cricket”, Mithali Raj is the highest run scorer in the One-Day International (ODI) format with an incredible total of 7,805 runs. Mithali Raj has also been honoured with several national and international honours, including the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2003, the highest Indian honour, the Padma Shri Award in 2015, the Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World Award in 2017 and the coveted Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2017. As per records, Mithali Raj is the only cricketer in the history of female cricket to cross the 7,000 ODI runs mark in a total of 200 ODI matches that she played in, speaking volumes about her prominence and stature as a legendary Indian female cricketer. Additionally, Mithali Raj also established herself as the first female cricketer to surpass the mark of 2,000 in the WT20I format.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Edwards
Charlotte Marie Edwards is a former English cricketer currently entwined with professional cricket as coach, analyst and commentator. In her flourishing career that spanned twenty years, Charlotte Edwards appeared in a total of twenty-three test matches, ninety-five T20 internationals and one hundred and ninety-one ODIs. Charlotte Edwards holds the record for smashing the second-highest runs, 5,992 in the ODI format. Additionally, Charlotte Edwards also holds the record for being the youngest female cricketer to ever make her debut in Test cricket for England’s side. England’s cricket team clinched numerous tournaments under Charlotte’s influential leadership, including the 2009 Women’s Cricket World Cup and the 2009 ICC Women’s World Twenty20. Charlotte Edwards officially announced her retirement in September 2017 and was appointed as the director of Women’s Cricket at Hampshire in 2018.
-
Suzie Bates
Former captain of New Zealand’s national cricket team, Suzannah Wilson Bates, often referred to as “Suzie Bates”, is considered to be one of the most path-breaking female cricketers of the modern era. In addition to dominating the cricket field, Suzie Bates also represented the New Zealand Women’s basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China. The multifaceted stalwart, Suzie Bates holds the record for striking the third-highest 5,639 runs in the ODI format. Furthermore, Suzie Bates has also clinched some of the most prestigious awards and accolades, including the Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World in 2015, and the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Award twice in the years 2013 and 2016. Later in the same year, Suzie was also awarded with the T20I Cricketer of the Year Award in 2016.
Also Read: MI players who can be strong competitors in front of KKR
-
Stafanie Taylor
The Jamaican all-rounder and former captain of the West Indies National Cricket team, Stafanie Roxann Taylor made her debut for the West Indies cricket team at the young age of seventeen in 2008 and instantly established herself as one of the most dynamic and reliable all-rounders of the team. Stafanie smashed her maiden ODI century against South Africa in 2009 and never looked back. Stafanie Taylor has represented the West Indies cricket team in a total of 154 matches and amassed the fourth-highest score of 5,519 runs. Stafanie Taylor was named as the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2011, ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2012 and ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2015. Apart from her individual milestones, Taylor has also established herself as a leading captain of the West Indies cricket team, leading the squad to a phenomenal victory at the 2016 ICC Women’s World Twenty20.
-
Belinda Clark
Belinda Jane Clark, often referred to as the pioneer of Australian women’s cricket, captained the Australian national cricket team for a record-breaking span of eleven years. Additionally, Belinda Clark also established herself as the first woman cricketer to smash a double-century in the ODI format. With a stellar aggregate of 4,844*, Clark currently holds the record for hitting the fifth-highest runs in the One-Day Internationals (ODI) format. The pioneer of the Australian women’s cricket team became the first ever woman cricketer to be inducted into the prestigious Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and the second woman cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, displaying her dominance and legacy on the cricket field.