India all-rounder Shafali Verma is hoping to repeat her success against South Africa when the two teams meet in a big ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash on Saturday, June 20, in Manchester.
Shafali has been in excellent form and played a major role in India’s strong start to the tournament. She continued her impressive run on Wednesday, June 17, when India defeated the Netherlands by 95 runs at Headingley, Leeds. The win helped India remain unbeaten after two matches and moved them to the top of Group A.
The 22-year-old made an important contribution with both bat and ball against the Netherlands. She scored a fluent 55 runs and also picked up three wickets, helping India dominate the match from start to finish. Her all-round display once again showed why she is one of India’s most valuable players in white-ball cricket.
However, tougher tests lie ahead for India, with South Africa next on the schedule. The match is expected to be one of the biggest contests in the group stage as both teams are among the strongest sides in the tournament.
Shafali has happy memories of playing against South Africa. When the two teams met in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final in 2025, she produced a match-winning performance. She scored a quick 87 runs at the top of the order and also claimed two wickets, earning the Player of the Match award as India lifted their first Women’s World Cup title.
With that memorable performance still fresh in her mind, Shafali is confident about facing South Africa once again. “I would love to be the Player of the Match again, but I think it’s just the next match and every day is different,” Shafali said.
“I will go there with confidence as I was the Player of the Match in the (World Cup) final and I know everything about their bowlers. I have played against (South Africa pacer) Marizanne Kapp many times, so I know how to react in front of her. So yeah we are very excited for the next few matches and we are ready.”
One of the biggest reasons behind India’s strong batting performances has been the opening partnership between Shafali and Smriti Mandhana. Against the Netherlands, the pair added 115 runs for the first wicket and gave India a perfect start.
Their partnership laid the foundation for a huge total and put the Netherlands under pressure right from the beginning. It was the fifth century partnership between the two batters, showing how well they understand each other at the crease.
Shafali praised Mandhana and explained how their partnership has improved over the years. “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 is right or wrong, and then even I have the best seat to tell her the same,” she noted.
“I think we both know how to rotate the strike, that if a spinner comes then who has to take the strike, if a left arm comes then who has to strike. We have been playing with each other since many years, so we both know who is to be given which strike, so we know about each other a lot.”
With confidence high and momentum on their side, India will now look to continue their winning run when they take on South Africa on June 20, with Shafali hoping to deliver another match-winning performance on the big stage.
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