Highest Individual Score in Women's Cricket: Test, ODI and T20I Records

Women's cricket has produced some extraordinary batting performances. From long, patient innings in Test matches to powerful double centuries in ODIs and explosive hundreds in T20 Internationals, several players have created records that remain difficult to beat.

But who holds the highest individual score in women's cricket? The answer depends on the format. Pakistan's Kiran Baluch scored 242 runs in a Test match, New Zealand's Amelia Kerr made an unbeaten 232 in an ODI, and Argentina's Lucia Taylor holds the women's T20I record with 169 runs.

These innings are more than impressive numbers. They show how women's cricket has developed across different countries and formats. In this article, we look at the biggest individual scores in women's international cricket, the players who made them and the stories behind their record-breaking performances.

1. Highest Individual Score in Women's Test Cricket

Kiran Baluch – 242 runs

Pakistan's Kiran Baluch holds the record for the highest individual score in women's Test cricket. She scored 242 runs against West Indies at the National Stadium in Karachi in March 2004.

Baluch faced 488 balls and hit 38 fours during her remarkable innings. Her performance helped Pakistan reach 426/7 declared in the first innings. The match eventually ended in a draw.

What makes this record particularly special is its longevity. More than two decades after the innings, no batter has managed to cross her score in women's Test cricket.

Before Baluch set the record, India's Mithali Raj had made 214 against England in 2002. Baluch went past that mark with her 242-run innings, creating a new benchmark for Test batting.

Top 10 highest individual scores in women's Tests

Source: SportsAdda's women's Test record list, updated in August 2026. Equal scores share the same position in the records.

Shafali Verma's 205-run innings

India's Shafali Verma produced one of the most aggressive double centuries in women's Test cricket when she scored 205 against South Africa in Chennai in June 2024.

She reached the milestone in just 197 balls, hitting 23 fours and eight sixes. Her innings showed that a long-format match can also feature attacking batting at a remarkable scoring rate.

Annabel Sutherland's 210 against South Africa in 2024 and Ellyse Perry's unbeaten 213 against England in 2017 are other memorable performances in the women's Test record books.

2. Highest Individual Score in Women's ODI Cricket

Amelia Kerr – 232 not out

New Zealand's Amelia Kerr holds the record for the highest individual score in women's ODI cricket. She scored an unbeaten 232 against Ireland in Dublin on 13 June 2018.

Kerr faced 145 balls and hit 31 fours and two sixes. Her innings helped New Zealand post a massive total of 440/3 in 50 overs.

At just 17 years and 243 days old, Kerr also became the youngest player to score a double century in senior international cricket, across men's and women's Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

Her achievement was especially significant because she broke a record that had stood for more than 20 years.

Australia's Belinda Clark previously held the women's ODI record with 229 not out against Denmark in Mumbai on 16 December 1997. Kerr surpassed that score with her unbeaten 232.

Top 8 highest individual scores in women's ODIs

Source: Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACSH), women's ODI highest individual scores. 

India's Deepti Sharma also features in the list

India's Deepti Sharma scored 188 runs against Ireland in Potchefstroom on 15 May 2017. Her innings remains one of the biggest individual scores in women's ODI cricket.

Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu also produced a memorable performance with 195 not out against South Africa in April 2024. These performances show that Amelia Kerr's record is challenged by several outstanding batters, even though the 232-run mark remains unbeaten.

3. Highest Individual Score in Women's T20I Cricket

Lucia Taylor – 169 runs

Argentina's Lucia Taylor holds the record for the highest individual score in women's T20 International cricket. She scored 169 runs from 84 balls against Chile in Buenos Aires on 13 October 2023.

Taylor's innings included 27 fours and helped Argentina reach 427/1 in 20 overs. Her opening partnership with Albertina Galan, who scored 145 not out, added 350 runs.

Argentina went on to defeat Chile by 364 runs. The match produced several remarkable records, including the highest team total in women's T20I cricket at that time.

Taylor's 169 remains the highest individual score in women's T20Is in the available international records.

Top 5 highest individual scores in women's T20Is

Source: ACSH women's T20I highest individual scores.

Smriti Mandhana's 124 for India

Indian batter Smriti Mandhana scored 124 runs from 64 balls against Hong Kong in September 2026. It was a major milestone for Indian women's T20I cricket.

However, it is important to distinguish between a country's record and the overall international record. Mandhana's 124 is India's highest women's T20I score in the available records, while Lucia Taylor's 169 remains the global benchmark.

4. Highest Individual Score in Women's Cricket: Format-Wise Comparison

The three international formats have different batting demands. Test cricket gives players more time to build an innings, ODIs require a balance between scoring quickly and preserving wickets, and T20Is put greater emphasis on scoring within a limited number of overs.

Here is a quick comparison of the current record holders:

The figures show that Kiran Baluch has the highest score among these three women's international formats. Amelia Kerr leads the ODI list, while Lucia Taylor holds the T20I record.

One important distinction: this comparison covers international cricket only. Domestic competitions have their own records, and those should not be mixed with Test, ODI or T20I statistics when comparing international achievements.

5. Indian Women's Cricket Batting Records

India has produced several outstanding batters who have made their mark in international cricket. Mithali Raj, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have all delivered memorable innings.

Here are some major Indian individual batting records:

Mithali Raj's 214 came against England at Taunton in 2002. At the time, it was the highest individual score in women's Test cricket, before Kiran Baluch surpassed it in 2004.

Deepti Sharma's 188 against Ireland remains India's highest individual ODI score in the record lists. Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana's 124 against Hong Kong is India's highest women's T20I score in the available records.

Shafali Verma's 205 against South Africa deserves special mention too. Her innings was one of the fastest double centuries in women's Test cricket and demonstrated the attacking style of the next generation of Indian batters.

For readers interested in more Indian cricket statistics, a related guide on India women's cricket team records and achievements would be a useful internal link here.

6. Why These Records Matter in Women's Cricket

Individual batting records help explain how the women's game has evolved. Earlier generations often had fewer international opportunities and less professional support. Today, players benefit from stronger domestic structures, international leagues, improved coaching and greater exposure to high-level competition.

The records also highlight the global reach of women's cricket. Kiran Baluch represented Pakistan, Amelia Kerr represents New Zealand and Lucia Taylor plays for Argentina. Their achievements show that remarkable performances are not limited to a handful of established cricket nations.

At the same time, records should always be compared within the correct format. A 242-run Test innings and a 169-run T20I innings are both exceptional, but they were achieved under very different match conditions.

As more teams play international cricket and more players gain experience, these records may face new challenges in the coming years.

Conclusion

The highest individual scores in women's international cricket reflect the skill and determination of some of the game's finest batters. Kiran Baluch's 242 remains the Test record, Amelia Kerr's unbeaten 232 leads the ODI list, and Lucia Taylor's 169 is the highest T20I score.

Indian players such as Mithali Raj, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have also created memorable moments in the record books.

As women's cricket continues to expand across the world, fans can expect more outstanding innings and new milestones. For more updates, records and statistics, explore our other women's cricket guides on SpoRush.