The opener brushed off her latest milestone, having moved to fifth among the biggest run scorers in T20Is
Australia opener Beth Mooney has overtaken the legendary Meg Lanning as Australia’s leading run scorer in T20 Internationals, with the left-hander describing it as a “bittersweet” moment.
Mooney needed 20 runs to overtake her former skipper coming into the second T20I against India in Canberra. She went past her with a single, quietly adding another achievement to her already bulging resume.
The 32-year-old’s innings of 46 at Manuka Oval means she has now scored 3,432 runs in the shortest format, eclipsing former Australia skipper Lanning’s 3,405.
Mooney has now moved to fifth on the list of highest run scorers in women’s T20Is, with only Suzie Bates (4,716), Smriti Mandhana (4,149), Harmanpreet Kaur (3820) and Chamari Athapaththu (3561) ahead of her.
In classic Mooney fashion, she was quick to brush off the milestone when speaking to Fox Cricket following Thursday’s match.
“I’m a little bit sad about it to be honest,” Mooney said of overtaking Lanning, who retired from international cricket in late 2023.
“I think if Meg had kept playing, she’d probably be on about 5,000 runs by now.”
What makes Mooney’s achievement remarkable is the number of innings it has taken for her to move into the top five: just 108, with an average of 41.85 and a strike rate of 125.43.
Fittingly, Mooney reached the runs record at Manuka Oval, the ground where she cemented her spot in Australia’s best T20I side with her maiden international century in 2017.
The left-hander, dubbed ‘Mrs Consistent’ for her remarkable reliability in the most unpredictable format, has since added another ton to her record, alongside 27 half-centuries.
Speaking to reporters after Australia sealed a 19-run win, new opening partner Georgia Voll was full of praise for Mooney, who has been a mentor and close friend through Voll’s rise to international cricket.
“I’ve known Moons for a long time and worked alongside her since I’ve come into the programs as a 16-year-old,” Voll said.
“It’s great to see the impact she’s had on world cricket, but also this team – that’s one reason why she’s one of the best batters in the world, and she just churns runs out for fun.
“It’s great to have her experience up the other end, with a calm head.”
NRMA Insurance Australia v India Multi-Format Series
The multi-format series is tied at 2-2
Australia T20I squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka Patil
February 15: India won by 21 runs (DLS)
February 19: Australia won by 19 runs
February 21: Third T20, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm AEDT
Australia ODI squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Kashvee Gautam, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal
February 24: First ODI, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT
February 27: Second ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT
March 1: Third ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT
Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare
March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)
