Shafali has potential to have T20 centuries if she plays a little longer: Mithali Raj

Former India skipper Mithali Raj lauded Shafali Verma and Jess Jonassen for their match-winning century partnership against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Delhi Capitals’ dominant nine-wicket win on March 1 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

While Shafali stood unbeaten on 80 off 43 with eight fours and four sixes, Jonassen helped her in no small cause, hitting 61 in just 38 balls with nine fours and a six as the Capitals gunned the 148-run target in merely 15.1 overs to consign RCB to their fourth consecutive drubbing. The victory also ensured that the Delhi Capitals became the first team to book a playoffs berth, after securing five wins in seven games.

"So far, we've spoken a lot about the opening partnership for Delhi Capitals, with over 300-run partnerships. But this, I believe, is the first time Shafali Verma has stitched together a 140 run partnership with a number three batter—Jess Jonassen. The way she constructed her innings today was truly special. We've often seen her get into the 40s during the powerplay and then throw her wicket away. However, today, she ensured she played into the middle overs, complementing Jess Jonassen at the other end and seeing her team through. This is exactly what we expect from her, and hopefully, she continues to do this for Delhi Capitals in the coming seasons," Mithali said on JioHotstar. 

Sharing her thoughts on Shafali’s blitz, Mithali acknowledged her presence of mind in playing the waiting game before unleashing herself against the spinners in the middle overs.

"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 also praised Jonassen for seamlessly transitioning into the No. 3 role and grabbing the opportunity with both hands.

“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. 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."

Jonassen commented on Delhi Capitals qualifying for the  playoffs: "To officially qualify for the finals again is really pleasing for us. I feel like we’ve built up nicely throughout the tournament so far. We’re looking forward to a couple of days off before our game in Lucknow."

Jonassen also spoke about Shafali Verma: "She’s incredible—an absolute weapon of a ball striker. While batting together, we kept reminding each other to play to our strengths. My role was to remind her to stay smart. She is one of the best ball strikers in the women's game, and for her, it’s just about picking the right ball to attack. To be fair, there are a lot of balls that are the right ones for Shafali Verma to hit. I always enjoy batting with her, and I’m really pleased that she was there at the end and got the job done.”