Shafali’s partnership with Smriti Mandhana at the top of India’s batting order looks pivotal to India’s chances of claiming its maiden T20 World Cup title next month, with the duo putting on 115 runs for the opening wicket against Netherlands to help guide the team to a slim total.
It was the fifth time the dynamic duo had forged a century-long partnership together, and Shafali credited her senior partner with guiding her at the crease.
“The best thing is that whatever shots I can’t hit, she hits them and she has the best seat to tell me what I’m doing right or wrong, and then I have the best seat to tell her the same thing,” Shafali noted.
“I think we know how to rotate the batting, so if the spinner comes who should bowl, and if the left-arm spinner comes who should bat.
“We’ve been playing against each other for many years, so we both know who’s going to take the hit, so we know a lot about each other.”
