India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has backed sidelined opening batter Shafali Verma to come into her zone with the ODI World Cup 2025 approaching. Shafali was dropped from the Indian team for their three-match away series against Australia.
Shafali was not picked for the Australia tour after a dip in her ODI form this year. The opening batter has scored only 108 runs in six ODI innings this year at an average of 18.
Captain Harmanpreet has backed the right-handed opener, stating that she is a very important player. "She (Shafali) is a very important player for us and has done exceptionally well for the country. We are looking forward to seeing her get back into her zone and perform well for the team," Harmanpreet said on the eve of their series opener against Australia.
India and Australia will lock horns in three ODIs from December 5 onwards with the second and third matches scheduled to take place on December 8 and 11. India have a poor record in Australia in the 50-over format. They have won just 4 of the 16 ODIs Down Under. Harmanpreet believes the goal of this series is to win, just like in any other series.
"Every time we play, our goal is to win, and this series is no exception. It's good to see that our team has been doing well in the ODI format, and we want to maintain the same momentum," said Harmanpreet.
"All games are important, and we will try different combinations to identify players who are performing well. We aim to give opportunities to the upcoming players and see whoever is best keeping the World Cup in mind.
We will focus on selecting players who can excel in home conditions when we play the World Cup," she added.
The Women in Blue recently defeated New Zealand in a home ODI series 2-1 but the captain knows that the team will have a different challenge up for them in Australia. "We performed really well against New Zealand in home conditions. Here, the conditions are different, and we are working hard to adapt quickly.
"We all enjoy playing ODIs more than any other format. It’s a format we always look forward to. With the World Cup in India coming up, playing against Australia, who always play excellent cricket wherever they go, is a great platform for us to showcase our skills. We had two days of training and tried to settle in as soon as possible. Everyone is feeling good and looking in great shape," she said.
