Mandhana Must Avoid Imitating Shafali In Asia Cup Final Against Sri Lanka, Says Razdan

Mandhana Needs to Anchor, Not Imitate Shafali: Razdan Ahead of Asia Cup Final

Dubai International Stadium is set to host this Sunday's Women's Asia Cup final between India and Sri Lanka, and former India men's cricketer Vivek Razdan has a clear message for vice-captain Smriti Mandhana—play your own game, don't try to be Shafali Verma.

India enter as favourites (7-time champions), but Razdan warned against taking Sri Lanka lightly after their hard-fought semifinal win over Pakistan. Despite being 33/4, they chased down the target even after Kusalitha Athapaththu got out early—proof of their batting depth.

Bowling firing on all cylinders

Razdan praised India's recent bowling display, highlighting key contributions from N Sree Charni, Shafali Verma, Prema Rawat and Deepti Sharma, with the spinners picking up 26 wickets across the tournament.

The powerplay concern

Here's the crux—India's top order has carried the bat (Shafali 168 runs, Mandhana 154), but the middle has misfired. Razdan flagged a specific area to fix: "How do you bat in the powerplay without losing a wicket? If the top four can survive, you post a big total."

He noted Shafali's fifty vs Bangladesh came off the back of three dropped catches and a runout chance, adding: "I don't know why, but Smriti sometimes tries to be Shafali. That's not her game. It's important she plays long."

The bottom line

Razdan's verdict is simple—Smriti Mandhana is the one to watch in the final. Anchor the innings, lean into her natural strengths, and let the bowlers do the rest.

Source: IANS

Source: Cricketnmore