Smriti Mandhana Praises Shefali Verma After Stellar Performance in Womens T20 World Cup

Leeds, June 18: In an impressive display during the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, Smriti Mandhana scored 74 runs off 47 balls, including 12 boundaries, leading India to a significant victory against the Netherlands. Following the match, she was named ‘Player of the Match’ and took a moment to commend her opening partner, Shefali Verma, with whom she shared a century partnership.

India set a formidable target of 209 runs, thanks to a 115-run partnership between Mandhana and Verma, who contributed 55 runs. The Netherlands, in response, struggled and was bowled out for just 114 runs in 17.3 overs. This victory marked India’s largest win by runs in the Women’s T20 World Cup.

After the match, Mandhana remarked, “I think it was definitely a good pitch for batting. Whenever we have come to Leeds, I have played a few matches here in ‘The Hundred’, and there has always been a good pitch for batting and a fast outfield. Still, the Netherlands played really well today.”

She added, “Of course, it was a new and unfamiliar situation for all of us. We hadn’t seen them play much, so we had to watch a lot of videos on their bowling and how we would progress in the game. One thing we always take pride in is that we don’t view any team differently, whether it’s their first time or otherwise. I just felt they really put up a tough fight. They fielded very well. For us, the main thing was to maintain focus and do our job for the team.”

With this win, the Indian team has climbed to the top of the Group A points table. They will face South Africa on June 21, followed by a match against Bangladesh on June 25, and a showdown with Australia on June 28.

On preparing for the upcoming challenging matches, especially against South Africa and Australia, Mandhana stated, “I wouldn’t say I was hitting the ball exactly how I wanted to. I am still working on my batting. But I am really happy with how Shefali batted today. We had a good partnership, and it’s great to see her scoring runs again. Also, Shree Charani bowled very well. For me, it’s about doing the right things, getting up every day to do the right work, and then seeing how the match unfolds.”