Shafali Verma surpasses Smriti Mandhana to join elite list

Dubai: Indian opener Shafali Verma etched her name deeper into the record books after surpassing Smriti Mandhana to become the third-highest Indian player with the most Player of the Match (POTM) awards in Women’s T20 Internationals.

At just 21, Shafali claimed her eighth POTM award following a sensational unbeaten 69 off 34 balls in the second T20I against Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam. Her match-winning knock, laced with 11 fours and a six, powered India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory while chasing 129 in just 11.5 overs, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

With this achievement, Shafali now trails only former captain Mithali Raj, who holds the record with 12 POTM awards from 89 matches, and current skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who has 11 awards from 184 games. Shafali reached her tally of eight POTM awards in 92 T20Is, leapfrogging Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, who both have seven.

Reflecting on her innings, Shafali said she focused on staying calm and adapting to the conditions. “The ball was holding a bit early on, so I tried to play along the ground and rotate the strike. Acceptance is everything — if you accept your weaknesses, you become a better cricketer,” she said after the match.

Shafali opened the innings alongside Mandhana, adding 29 runs for the first wicket before Mandhana departed for 14. Jemimah Rodrigues then joined Shafali, and the pair went on the offensive, helping India race to 68 in the powerplay. The duo added 58 runs for the second wicket, with Rodrigues scoring 26 off 15 balls. Shafali continued her aggressive approach even after Rodrigues’ dismissal, later adding 41 runs with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored 10. Harmanpreet was dismissed when just one run was required for victory.

Earlier, India’s bowlers set up the win with a disciplined performance. Spinners Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani picked up two wickets each, while Kranti Gaud and Sneh Rana chipped in with one apiece, restricting Sri Lanka to 128.

India’s win puts them firmly in control of the series. A single victory in the remaining three matches in Thiruvananthapuram will be enough for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side to seal the series.