New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Indian batter Shafali Verma credited the guidance she received from senior players Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur for staying focused to execute her plans well.

India continued their impressive start to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a commanding 95-run win over the Netherlands in Leeds, moving to the top of Group A.

Mandhana and Shafali were leading the charge with their opening partnership of 115 as India posted 209/5, their highest score in Women’s T20 World Cups. They followed it up with a clinical bowling performance, where Shafali icked 3-20 to dismiss the European side for 114 in 17.3 overs.

On the advice she received from Smriti Mandhana at the start of her innings, Shafali said om JioStar, “I couldn’t execute my plans the way I wanted in the last match against Pakistan. I was a bit rushed, and my shot selection wasn’t ideal. But against the Netherlands, I kept it simple. I decided to just watch the ball and react. I didn’t overthink. The shots came naturally. I only went after deliveries in my hitting arc. It felt like I was in auto mode.

“At the start, I kept reminding myself to play along the ground. Smriti didi kept telling me to watch the ball closely. It sounds like a small thing, but as a batter, it makes a huge difference. It helps you stay balanced and time the ball better. We kept talking about it throughout the innings. That constant communication helped me stay focused.”

She also opened up on the support she gets from skipper Harmanpreet. She added, “It feels really good to win the first two matches of the T20 World Cup. We won both games by big margins, which is crucial in a tournament like this. The atmosphere in the dressing room is very positive. We want to keep winning and make sure we qualify for the semi-finals without any last-minute pressure.

“Things are going as per plan, the batting is clicking, the bowlers are delivering, and the fielding has been sharp. We need to carry this momentum into the upcoming games. Every match is important, and we are not taking anything for granted. We want to keep improving and stay focused on the bigger goal of lifting the trophy.”

Speaking on India’s strong start in the T20 World Cup, Shafali said the team needs to carry the momentum in the remaining group stage games to qualify for the knockouts without any last-minute pressure.

“It feels really good to win the first two matches of the T20 World Cup. We won both games by big margins, which is crucial in a tournament like this. The atmosphere in the dressing room is very positive. We want to keep winning and make sure we qualify for the semi-finals without any last-minute pressure.

“Things are going as per plan, the batting is clicking, the bowlers are delivering, and the fielding has been sharp. We need to carry this momentum into the upcoming games. Every match is important, and we are not taking anything for granted. We want to keep improving and stay focused on the bigger goal of lifting the trophy.”

–IANS

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