Indian women’s cricket team captain Smriti Mandhana said on Thursday that Shefali Verma, who was dropped from the team due to poor performance last year, still holds an important place in the team’s plans. Mandhana will lead the team in the three-match ODI series against Ireland starting on Friday, while regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and fast bowler Renuka Thakur have been rested.
Shafali Verma, known for her aggressive batting, was dropped from the squad for the ODI series against Australia in December. On the eve of the match against Ireland, Mandhana said, “Harmanpreet has been rested. Shefali has not been a part of the team in the last two or three ODI series. In his absence, Pratika Raval had performed well in the last series. “Shefali has scored brilliant runs in domestic cricket and she definitely remains in the national team’s plans.”
He further said, “I am happy that he has performed well in domestic cricket. We must focus our resources as a team and maintain a positive mindset. We have a balanced team and the players who have got opportunities are doing well.”
Although the Indian team had to face defeat on the Australia tour, the team achieved a spectacular victory in the T20 and ODI series against West Indies on home soil. Mandhana said, “The series against West Indies definitely boosted our confidence. Our batsmen and bowlers had performed excellently and we hope to continue the same momentum.”
He said that in the absence of Harmanpreet and Renuka, this will be a good opportunity for the young players to prove their talent. Mandhana said, “This will be a golden opportunity for young players. I am sure that whichever player gets the opportunity, he will try to capitalize on it with all his hard work.
