India’s women’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has expressed confidence in herself and opener Shafali Verma to step up after their six-wicket defeat in the final T20I against England in Taunton, ending the series 2-1.
Both players struggled throughout the series, managing opening partnerships of 19, 27, and 0 in the three T20Is. Mandhana scored a total of 40 runs, averaging 13.33 with a best score of 32, while Shafali totaled 35 runs at an average of 11.66, despite a strike rate of 152.17 compared to Mandhana’s 114.28. Despite this, Mandhana remains hopeful about their future contributions.
“Shafali and I are timing the ball well, but we haven’t been able to make big contributions yet. We will return to the nets, work hard, and aim to strengthen our opening partnership since we pride ourselves on giving good starts. Unfortunately, we couldn’t achieve that in this series, but we’ll move forward,” Mandhana stated, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
In the first innings, Harmanpreet Kaur led the team’s scoring with a quick 56 off 40 balls, helping India reach a solid total of 180 for 5 in 20 overs. Mandhana praised her captain’s performance and highlighted the positive contributions from the middle order ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“Harman batted brilliantly today. When she is at her best, she is a joy to watch. Her innings were crucial, especially under pressure, helping us get to over 180. It’s encouraging to see everyone in good form, and I’m excited to support them from the non-striker’s end,” Mandhana said.
India had England struggling at 38 for 3. However, a strong partnership between Alice Capsey and Heather Knight, which added 137 runs, led England to victory. Mandhana admired their performance but noted the missed opportunity.
“We started well with the ball at 38 for 3, but I won’t take away from their partnership. They played well. In hindsight, we could have added pressure with more dot balls, but we didn’t manage that,” Mandhana commented.
Mandhana added that the series served as valuable preparation for the T20 World Cup, providing a platform to correct their mistakes.
“We view this game as a chance to improve and avoid repeating mistakes in the World Cup. We will analyze our bowling and seek better strategies for these conditions, which will be beneficial for our team,” she emphasized.
India will begin their 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup journey against Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston.