Shafali Verma's aggressive 53 laid the foundation for India's five-wicket win over Bangladesh, though dropped catches and fielding lapses remained a major concern ahead of the Australia clash.
Indian pacer Renuka Singh Thakur has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match women's ODI series against Zimbabwe due to fitness concerns, with uncapped Jintimani Kalita named as her replacement. Renuka is currently focusing on building bowling volume at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
The opener has played a couple of Tests, six ODIs and 28 T20 Internationals since making her debut
Former captain Diana Edulji believes openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma finding form quickly will be imperative and crucial to India's chances of winning the Women's T20 World Cup.
Indian spinner Shree Charani has maintained her top position in the ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings with a career-best 804 rating points, while compatriot Deepti Sharma has risen four places to second, following their stellar performances in the Women's T20 Asia Cup.
Fresh from their record-extending Asia Cup triumph, defending champions India will begin their Asian Games title defence as overwhelming favourites against hosts Japan in the women's quarter-finals in Nagoya on Friday.
India's women's cricket team secured their record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur attributed the success to the team's consistent high standards, while coach Amol Muzumdar highlighted strong batting and effective spin bowling.
Defending champions India's women's cricket team is set to face Bangladesh in the Asian Games semifinal. With a dominant head-to-head record, India aims to continue their winning streak, while Bangladesh will rely on their spinners to challenge the strong Indian batting lineup for a spot in the final.
Shafali Verma believes that keeping the game plan simple is the best way for India to get the better of Australia in their must-win Women's T20 World Cup clash at Lord's on Sunday.
India, already qualified for the semifinals of the Women's Asia Cup, are set to face traditional rivals Pakistan in their final league game. While India is considered the overwhelming favourite, the match offers both teams an opportunity to fine-tune their strategies. India aims to strengthen its power-hitting and fast bowling, while Pakistan needs significant improvement in its batting to challenge stronger opponents.
India's women's cricket team will face Hong Kong in their second Women's T20 Asia Cup match, aiming to address batting collapses experienced in their opening game against Thailand. Despite a comfortable win, the team seeks a more complete performance, with key players like Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma in form, while others like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur look to regain form. Hong Kong, having lost to Thailand, will rely on players like Marina Lamplough and Kary Chan to challenge India.
Shree Charani and Prema Rawat wreaked havoc with the ball as a dominant India trounced Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided match in the Women's Asia Cup in Dubai on Saturday.
India's Women's T20 team secured a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first match of the bilateral series on Friday, overcoming an early batting collapse thanks to a crucial partnership between debutant Niki Prasad and veteran Deepti Sharma. Zimbabwe, led by Kelis Ndhlovu and Sharne Mayers, posted 114 for five.
India delivered a commanding performance in the Asian Games women's cricket final, crushing Sri Lanka by 147 runs to retain their gold medal and open their 2026 campaign with India's first gold of the Games.
India's teen sensation Shafali Verma moved up a rung to regain her position at the top of the ICC Women's T20I rankings for batters while her opening partner Smriti Mandhana dropped a spot to fourth.
Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus shone as South Africa defeated India by eight wickets in the second women's T20I, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Seven-time champions India are strong favourites against Bangladesh in the Women's Asia Cup semi-final. The match carries an underlying political subtext, adding to the intensity. India's dominant form, led by Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma in batting and Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh in bowling, contrasts with Bangladesh's more resilient path to the semi-finals.
India's new captain Smriti Mandhana is set to lead the women's team in a T20I series against Zimbabwe, marking a new era. She aims to elevate the team's professionalism, power-hitting, and fielding, while fostering a strong team culture. Mandhana also highlighted the importance of Harmanpreet Kaur's experience and praised deputy Shafali Verma's growth, as the team prepares for the ICC Women's Champions Trophy 2027.
India's Women's T20 Asia Cup campaign begins against Thailand, with the team facing questions about their recent form and consistency. Despite a strong historical record in the tournament, recent losses and individual player form, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur, raise concerns. The team aims to overcome fielding issues and batting inconsistencies, relying on key players like Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Deepti Sharma, as they prepare for both the Asia Cup and upcoming Asian Games.
Smriti Mandhana breaks plethora of records as India outplay Hong Kong by 137 runs on Thursday to enter Women's Asia Cup semi-final.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged fielding shortcomings despite her team's T20 World Cup victory over Bangladesh. She expressed confidence in the team's ability to improve and looked forward to the challenging match against Australia. Player of the Match Shafali Verma also shared her satisfaction with her performance.
Shafali Verma scripted a new record to her name as the opener blasted the highest score by an Indian batter in the Women's World Cup final.
Harmanpreet Kaur smashed a scintillating 126, while all-rounder Deepti Sharma struck an unbeaten 106 as India thrashed Zimbabwe by 121 runs in the second women's ODI in Vadodara.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will rely heavily on openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma to perform against a challenging Pakistan side in their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign opener.
Smriti Mandhana's record 124 powered India to a 137-run win over Hong Kong, while Deepti Sharma and fellow bowlers completed the rout and exposed little resistance from opponents.
Indian cricketers Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma reveal the personal motivations and legendary advice that helped them perform under pressure during their maiden ODI World Cup title win last year.
Smriti Mandhana will lead the Indian women's T20 team in a three-match series against Zimbabwe in Raipur, marking the start of a new era. The series is crucial for India to address their T20 weaknesses in batting, fielding, and bowling, especially after recent World Cup exits, while Zimbabwe looks to build on their recent success.
The Indian women's cricket team secured their eighth Women's Asia Cup title, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final, a triumph that has garnered widespread congratulations from top Indian leaders.
A dominant India Women's team is set to face Zimbabwe in the second ODI in Vadodara, aiming to secure an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after a comprehensive nine-wicket victory in the first match.
Shafali Verma has leapfrogged Australia's Beth Mooney with scores of 23 and 47.
Shafali Verma was named captain of the North Zone team for the Senior Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy, starting in Nagaland, from Tuesday.
Shafali toils in India nets ahead of World Cup semifinal against Australia
Shafali revealed how training with the Haryana men's team ahead of the Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament helped her improve her game
Former India women's cricket captain Anjum Chopra believes that merely replacing Harmanpreet Kaur as captain will not solve the fundamental issues plaguing the team, citing a significant lack of quality back-up options across all departments.
Accepting the flaws in her game was fundamental to her resurgence as a more compact batter, India opener Shafali Verma said.
Smriti Mandhana is more suited to lead India in the longer formats after Harmanpreet Kaur's tenure ends while the much younger Shafali Varma can be handed the reins of the T20 side following another pre-mature exit from the World Cup, former captain legendary Mithali Raj said.
'Credit to the Japan team for taking on the challenge and putting up a fight.'
India opener Shafali Verma's match-winning performance with the bat in the Women's World Cup final against South Africa last month has earned her the ICC 'Player of the Month' award for November.
Harmanpreet Kaur's rapid 56 helped India post 170 for four against Australia in a must-win Women's T20 World Cup match. Despite a strong start from openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, the middle order struggled for acceleration, leaving Harmanpreet to boost the total in the final overs.
The Indian women's cricket team is set to face Bangladesh in a critical T20 World Cup Group A match, aiming to address persistent middle-order batting struggles and fielding lapses. While openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma have provided strong starts, the inability of the middle order to capitalise has put pressure on the lower order. India, currently second in their group, needs a strong performance to solidify their semi-final chances, especially after a recent loss to South Africa highlighted their vulnerabilities.
