Shafali loves playing big shots, don’t want to stop her: Harmanpreet Kaur

India young opener Shafali Verma once again flourished with the bat to help India register their 4th straight win the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup with a 7-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their last league match in Melbourne on Saturday.

It was the 2nd successive time that Shafali fell short of a half-century as she smashed a quickfire 47 to give India a brisk start in 114 run chase. The 16-year-old hit 7 boundaries and a six in her 34-ball stay at the crease before being run out in the 11 over.

Shafali’s scores in the last 4 league matches read 47, 46, 39, 29.

After India’s clinical win, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur praised the teenager for her brilliance and once again asserted that the team management does not want to stop her from playing aggressively.

“Shafali is someone who loves to play big shots, and we don’t want to stop her. She should continue doing the same and she should continue enjoying her game,” Kaur said in a post-match interview.

Read | India thrash Sri Lanka

India had already entered the semifinals after defeating New Zealand in their previous match but a clinical win in their last group match further enhanced their confidence before the final 4 clash.

India’s performance in the bowling unit has been quite impressive in the last 4 matches. Against Sri Lanka, Radha Yadav picked up a four-wicket haul to restrict Sri Lanka to a below-par total. In the earlier 3 matches where India batted first, the spinners had managed to defend a total that seemed to be well within bowler’s reach.

India’s middle-order has been the biggest worry for them as Harmanpreet Kaur has been struggling with her form. It was only the first time in the tournament, that she managed to get a double-digit score. She scored 14-ball 15 before holing out to the long-on.

Talking about her own performance, Harmanpreet said, ” Today I tried to be positive and got a few boundaries. In the upcoming games, I’ll try to give my best.”