India women’s cricket team captain, Smriti Mandhana, recently commented on Shafali Verma’s position within the team, despite her exclusion from the recent ODI series against Ireland. Mandhana clarified that Shafali remains a part of the team’s plans, highlighting her impressive performance in domestic cricket, particularly in the senior women’s one-day trophy where she was the top scorer. Shafali scored 527 runs in seven innings at an average of 75.28 and a strike rate of 152.31, including a remarkable 197 in the quarterfinals for Haryana, though they lost the match.
Mandhana acknowledged that with Harmanpreet Kaur and Renuka Singh Thakur being rested for the series, the team has shown resilience, with players like Pratika Rawal stepping up. The India squad is focused on maintaining a positive mindset, despite some absentees. The ODI series against Ireland is set to begin on January 10 in Rajkot.