Shafali Verma, newly appointed T20I vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, said on Thursday in Raipur that her leadership role extends well beyond the designation, and that the side has set its sights on playing a fearless yet smart brand of T20 cricket at the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy in February 2027. The comments came on the eve of India's T20I series opener against Zimbabwe at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

What Shafali Said About Her Leadership Role

'Just talking about vice-captaincy, I have done captaincy in the Under-19 World Cup as well. So, I have that experience. I know vice-captaincy is not just a title. It's a big responsibility. I know we have to just take care of each and every player and make them in a very good headspace. So, I am just trying to make every player very comfortable and just help the captain,' Shafali said at the pre-match press conference.

India will now be captained by Smriti Mandhana, with the Zimbabwe T20I series serving as the first preparatory step toward the six-team tournament to be held in Mumbai and Vadodara. Shafali credited outgoing captain Harmanpreet Kaur for shaping the current stature of women's cricket in India, adding that the team had held several strategic meetings ahead of the new cycle.

Comeback, Consistency, and the 2025 Hard Work

Shafali, who was dropped from the ODI side in 2025, made a dramatic return to the squad following an injury to Pratika Rawal. She went on to earn the Player of the Match award in the ODI World Cup final against South Africa in Navi Mumbai. Her recent T20I scores — 64, 68, 40 not out, 100 not out, and 48 — reflect a batter firing on all cylinders.

'When I got out of the team, I sat down and analysed myself — which things I have to work on. First of all, consistency and then fitness, which meant I had to work on my body. Mentally, I have to grow more. So, these three things, I did hard work at that time,' she said. The period away, she acknowledged, was ultimately a turning point rather than a setback.

Bowling Ambitions and Tactical Depth

Shafali also spoke about her off-spin, noting that she had been bowling for Haryana since 2021 and had long mentally prepared for the possibility of bowling at international level. 'I used to keep myself mentally prepared at that time that if I get bowling in the Indian team, then how do I have to prepare,' she said, adding that the mental readiness was already in place before the opportunity arrived.

On the question of opponents targeting her specifically, Shafali said she replicates pressure scenarios in the nets — working on short balls, back-foot punches against spinners, and pull shots — to ensure she enters matches match-ready. 'I put myself in various situations in every net session,' she explained.

Jemimah Rodrigues Absence and Middle-Order Confidence

With Jemimah Rodrigues still recovering from injury, Shafali expressed confidence in the middle order's ability to absorb the gap. She pointed to the team's performances in the Asia Cup and Asian Games — where Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet performed well — as evidence of collective depth, and backed debutant Niki Prasad to make an impact. 'Hopefully, she will also do well in the middle. So, we will just keep trying every player,' Shafali said.

The India–Zimbabwe T20I series marks the beginning of what could be an extended transformation cycle for women's cricket in the country, with the first-ever Women's Champions Trophy less than four months away.