We want to play fearless and smart T20 cricket, says vice-captain Shafali Verma

RAIPUR: The Indian women’s cricket team aims to play a fearless brand of cricket while being smart heading into the Women’s Champions Trophy at home early next year, said vice-captain Shafali Verma here on Thursday.

India will take on Zimbabwe for the first time ever in a bilateral engagement, with the T20 series forming part of their preparations for the ICC event in February.

India and Zimbabwe will face off in a three-match T20 series here before moving to Vadodara for three ODIs.

“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,” Shafali told reporters on the eve of the series opener.

The Indian women’s team has witnessed a change in leadership after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down. While Smriti Mandhana was appointed as captain across formats, Shafali was named her deputy in T20Is and Deepti Sharma in ODIs.

“Harman provided a lot of growth to women’s cricket and the way it has shaped, it is all because of her,” Shafali said about the former skipper.

Away from the national team last year before she was recalled during the ODI World Cup, Shafali said her hard work on different aspects has helped her.

“I analysed myself when I was out of the team. I needed to work on consistency, fitness, and mental growth. I worked hard on these things and now everything is coming together,” Shafali said.

“In 2025, I worked on every skill, from playing short balls, back-foot punches against spinners and the pull shots as well. I can see a good reflection of it now.

“I have been bowling for Haryana since 2021 so it is not new to me. I used to think that if I have to bowl for India one day, how should I prepare myself for it, and mentally I have been ahead only,” she added.

Shafali said the team did not feel the absence of middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues much in their last two assignments -- the Asia Cup and the Asian Games -- and new players would be tried at that spot.

“Jemi is recovering, but in the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, we did not feel much. The way Richa (Ghosh) and Harman played, and now Niki (Prasad) has come, hopefully she will do well and we will keep trying players,” Shafali said.