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ENG-W vs IND-W: Smriti Mandhana happy to reunite with Shafali 

June 28, 2025
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Smriti and Shafali will open in the first T20I. (PC: ACC)

India Women’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is eager to reunite with opening partner Shafali Verma, who is set to return to the T20I format in the upcoming five-match series against England starting June 28.

Shafali, who was left out following India’s early exit from the T20 World Cup last year and a lean ODI series against New Zealand, has earned her place back with a prolific run in domestic cricket and the Women’s Premier League.

Leading from the front for Haryana, Shafali topped the charts in both the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy (527 runs at a strike rate of 152.31 and average of 75.29) and the One-Day Challenger Trophy (414 runs at 145.26 strike rate and 82.80 average). She also finished fourth in the WPL 2025 run charts, scoring 304 runs for Delhi Capitals.

Shafali deserves this comeback: Smriti

“She’s had an amazing year,” Smriti said of Shafali. “Once the setback had come, she went to domestic cricket, scored bucket-loads of runs and had an amazing WPL. No one had any doubts about her talent, the way she had come into the Indian team and dominated. 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.”

Mandhana confirmed that Shafali will open with her in the first T20I. Together, they are the second-highest run-scoring pair in women’s T20Is, with 2636 partnership runs.

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