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After the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 clash between Delhi Capitals and Royals Challengers Bengaluru, former India skipper Mithali Raj heaped praise on batter Shafali Verma for her exceptional performance in the match.
Debutant N Charani and Shikha Pandey scalped two wickets each to restrict the home side to 147/5 in 20 overs. Delhi Capitals then chased down the target in just 15.3 overs, courtesy of fifties from Shafali Verma and Jess Jonassen. This was the Delhi Capitals' second consecutive win on back-to-back nights, making them the first team to qualify for the playoffs in the tournament. Shafali Verma was announced the Player of the Match on Wednesday for her unbeaten knock of 80 runs from 43 balls. Lauding her brilliant performance, Mithali Raj said that Shafali understands her role and values her wickets, adding that if she plays longer, it can make a big impact in the game. "When Jess Jonassen joined Shafali, her strike rate was actually ahead of Shafali's, and she was striking the ball better with the number of boundaries she hit. For a long period, Shafali didn't attempt a big shot for a maximum. But in the middle overs, once the spinners came in, she started unleashing those massive sixes, one of which went 82 meters. I think she now understands her role. If she values her wicket and bats for 20 overs, she's already on 80 runs. She has the potential to be one of those batters who, if she plays a little longer in T20 cricket, will have centuries to her name. And that could make a massive impact on the team's total," Mithali Raj said while speaking on JioHotstar. Further, the former right-hand batter commented on Jess Jonassen's performance. She scored an unbeaten knock of 61 runs in just 38 balls, laced with nine boundaries and one maximum in her innings. "She has embraced the number three role exceptionally well. Just two innings and two fifties, it never seemed like she was someone pushed up from the lower order and struggling. Instead, she seized the opportunity to score runs. The way she batted, she never slowed down the momentum," the former India captain said. "After losing Meg Lanning early, Shafali and Jess had to build a partnership, but at no point did they seem under pressure. They kept finding boundaries while also rotating the strike with singles and two's. It's great to see that they have developed a strong understanding while batting together," the 42-year-old added. (ANI)
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