‘We Even Communicate Through Eye Contact’: Shafali Verma On Evolution Of Batting Partnership With Smriti Mandhana

From understanding each other’s game to communicating through eye contact in the middle, Shafali Verma has offered an insight into how her batting partnership with Smriti Mandhana has evolved over the years, highlighting the understanding the two have developed since 2019.

Reflecting on their on-field chemistry, Shafali said the experience of batting together over the years has helped them understand when to communicate, what to discuss and, more importantly, what the team needs in a particular situation.

Speaking on JioStar's ‘Celebrating the Champions’, Shafali said: “I think in our partnership, it's just that we know each other very well, and we have been playing together since 2019. Nowadays, we even communicate through eye contact. So, we know how much to talk to each other in the middle, and we know what the team needs. We keep telling each other that as well. I think that reflects in our partnership and is good for the team."

The understanding between the two was on display during India’s historic ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 triumph. Recently, India completed one year since lifting its maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title, a triumph that has also contributed to a significant increase in the visibility and recognition of women’s cricket in the country.

The latest episode of ‘Celebrating the Champions’ is available exclusively on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network.

India captain Smriti Mandhana reflected on the increased respect the women’s game has received since the historic victory, describing the growing public engagement and recognition of players as particularly pleasing.

“Not a lot of things have changed in a way, but the respect women's cricket has got in the last one year after the World Cup, and to see people really being involved a lot more, I think that's something which has been a really pleasing change for me. To just see everyone kind of becoming a household name is a very pleasing sight,” Mandhana told JioStar.

Head coach Amol Muzumdar, meanwhile, identified talent, preparation, collective effort and belief as the four pillars behind India’s World Cup-winning campaign, emphasising that the team would look to carry the same approach into 2027.

Speaking on JioStar's ‘Celebrating the Champions’, Muzumdar said: "I think we learned a lot in that tournament. The pendulum swung one way initially, before shifting in our favour. So, I think it was a combination of the amazing talent these girls have, the preparation we put in, and a collective effort. Apart from these three, the fourth one I would like to add is the strong belief we had in that competition that culminated in winning the World Cup. I think I would like to take that into 2027.”