Raipur, Oct 16:
India’s newly appointed T20I vice-captain Shafali Verma has called on the team to adopt a fearless yet smart approach as it begins preparations for the Women’s Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in India in February 2027.
India will face Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series beginning Friday in Raipur, followed by three One-Day Internationals in Vadodara. The bilateral engagement marks the first time the two teams will meet in a bilateral series and offers India an opportunity to assess their combinations ahead of the major international tournament.
Shafali said the team had held several meetings to establish clear roles and expectations, with the focus on improving steadily from one series to the next.
“We have spoken about it, that in this series we have to play a fearless brand of cricket with smartness till the Champions Trophy. We have done lots of meetings so everyone knows what to do. We are just trying to keep growing series by series,” she said on the eve of the opening T20I.
The series also marks a new leadership phase for the Indian women’s team following Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to step down as captain. Smriti Mandhana has taken over as captain across formats, with Shafali named her deputy in T20Is and Deepti Sharma appointed vice-captain for ODIs.
Shafali acknowledged Harmanpreet’s contribution to the development of women’s cricket in India. “Harman provided a lot of growth to women’s cricket and the way it has shaped, it is all because of her,” she said.
The young opener also spoke about her efforts to improve her consistency, fitness and mental preparation after spending time away from the national side last year. She said the period outside the team had allowed her to analyse her shortcomings and work on specific aspects of her batting.
Shafali said she had concentrated on handling short-pitched deliveries, playing back-foot strokes against spinners and improving her pull shot. She believes the work has begun to show results in her performances.
She also highlighted her bowling development, pointing out that she has been bowling for Haryana since 2021. According to Shafali, she has been preparing herself mentally for greater responsibility with the ball and hopes to contribute as an all-rounder whenever the team requires it.
India will also look to strengthen their middle-order options in the absence of Jemimah Rodrigues, who is recovering from injury. Shafali expressed confidence in the alternatives available, including Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet, while noting that young batter Niki Prasad could receive opportunities.
With a new captain, a revamped leadership group and a major tournament on the horizon, the Zimbabwe series will be an important phase in India’s preparations. Shafali said the immediate objective was to keep improving as a unit, combine aggressive cricket with sound decision-making and ensure that every player understood her role.