New Delhi: Shafali Verma starred with the bat as the Indian women’s team hammered Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in the 2nd T20I at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday to go 2-0 up in the five-match series. Shafali played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 69 to help India make light work of the 129-run target against Bangladesh.
Shafali opened the innings with Smriti Mandhana during India’s chase and took the attack to the Sri Lanka bowlers from the word go. She raced to her half-century off just 27 balls and finished with 69 not out of 34 deliveries, which was laced with 11 fours and a six. The explosive right-hander was awarded the Player of the Match for her batting heroics as India wrapped up a comfortable win with 8.1 overs to spare.
It was Shafali’s eighth Player of the Match award in T20Is as she surpassed Smriti Mandhana in the elite list of players with the most Player of the Match awards for India in women’s T20Is. Both Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma have won seven Player of the Match awards for India in women’s T20Is. Former captain Mithali Raj, who won 12 Player of the Match awards during his T20I career, holds the record for the most POTM awards for India in T20Is.
Most POTM awards for India in women’s T20Is:
Mithali Raj – 12
Harmanpreet Kaur – 11
Shafali Verma – 8
Smriti Mandhana – 7
Deepti Sharma – 7