Dynamic Duo Reunited: Mandhana Thrilled by ‘Deserved’ Shafali Comeback
India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana has expressed her excitement about reuniting with explosive partner Shafali Verma ahead of the five-match T20I series against England. Speaking at Trent Bridge on Friday, Mandhana praised Shafali’s remarkable domestic performances that earned her a well-deserved recall to the national side.
The dynamic opening duo, who boast 2,636 partnership runs at a rapid rate of 7.90 runs per over, will resume their partnership after Shafali’s eight-month absence from the Indian team. The young opener had lost her place following India’s early exit from the T20 World Cup last October.
A Comeback Written in Runs
“She’s had an amazing year,” Mandhana said, standing in for an unwell captain Harmanpreet Kaur at the pre-match conference. Once the setback had come, she went to domestic cricket, scored bucket-loads of runs and had an amazing WPL.
The numbers tell the story of Shafali’s determination. She dominated the domestic circuit as Haryana captain, topping the run charts in both the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy (527 runs at 75.29 average) and the Challenger Trophy (414 runs at 82.80 average). Her WPL 2025 campaign saw her finish fourth among run-scorers with 304 runs at a blistering strike rate of 152.76.
“No one had any doubts about her talent,” Mandhana added warmly. “She is a world-class player and always will be, but for her to go back and do what she did in the last year was amazing to watch. She deserves this comeback and I’m really excited to open with her again.”
England Ready for the Challenge
From the England camp, pace spearhead Lauren Bell expressed her eagerness to face the Indian openers. Having played alongside Mandhana at Southern Brave in the Hundred, Bell knows the challenge that awaits.
“I’m looking forward to bowling at Smriti,” Bell said. “We’ve had a few net battles at the Brave before, so that’ll be a good challenge. They’re both very talented and play differently, so I’m hoping it just brings the best out of us.”
Bell, who claimed seven wickets in England’s recent T20I series sweep against West Indies, has refined her bowling action to swing the ball both ways. She views the Indian series as the perfect test for England’s preparations.
Meanwhile, India have brought fresh faces into their pace attack with maiden T20I call-ups for Kranti Goud and Sayali Satghare. The duo will fill the void left by experienced seamers Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar.
“The WPL has been good in terms of finding new people,” Mandhana noted. “Young talent, whenever they come in, it’s always very exciting. What better place than England to come in as a pacer?”
As the first T20I approaches, cricket fans can look forward to witnessing one of women’s cricket’s most entertaining opening partnerships back in action. For Shafali Verma, it’s a comeback story written with determination and runs. For Indian cricket, it’s the return of fireworks at the top of the order.
