Follow UsShafali Verma returned, and so did India’s blockbuster opening pair, as Smriti Mandhana and Verma now have the most 50-run stands in Women’s T20I history. The pair brought up their 21st half-century stand in the first WT20I against England Women at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
India were put into bat first in Nottingham, and Mandhana immediately punished the hosts, smashing a four off the second ball of the innings. The stylish left-hander didn’t stop there either, with an assault against Em Arlott, where she scored boundaries off consecutive deliveries.
Mandhana didn’t hold back against left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, scoring three boundaries in the fourth over, as India raced to 38/0 after just four overs. However, the partnership went a little quiet in the next two overs, as India could only get to 47 runs at the end of the powerplay phase.
21 - S Mandhana, Shafali Verma (IND-W)*
20 - Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney (AUS-W)
18 - Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine (NZ-W)
14 - Kavisha Egodage, Esha Oza (UAE-W)
13 - Esha Oza, Theertha Satish (UAE-W)
98/1 vs ENG, Nottingham, 2025*
92/1 vs PAK, Birmingham, 2022
90/2 vs ENG, Bristol, 2022
79/2 vs ENG, Birmingham, 2022
78/3 vs BAR, Birmingham, 2022
But just after the powerplay, Mandhana tormented the world’s best spinner Sophie Ecclestone, whom she smashed for two sixes in the over. In the process, the opening pair brought up their 21st 50-plus run stand, the most in WT20Is.
Verma added to that onslaught with a boundary, making it 19 runs off Ecclestone’s over - her costliest over in WT20Is.