India’s new T20I captain Smriti Mandhana and vice-captain Shafali Verma have added 4,080 runs together as openers, 50% more than any other pair in women’s T20Is.
On October 6, Smriti was named India’s white-ball captain and Shafali her deputy in T20 Internationals (T20Is). India’s two leaders are also its openers.
When India meets Zimbabwe in Raipur from October 16, they will face the first ball together. Their partnership is already the most productive in the format. Ball-by-ball data for every women’s T20I till October 7 show that in 107 innings since 2019, the two have added 4,080 runs for the first wicket, averaging 39.2 runs per dismissal at 8.34 runs an over.
Australia’s Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney are second with 2,715 runs in 84 innings; the UAE’s Esha Oza and Theertha Satish third with 2,588.
The Indian pair also has 32 stands of 50 or more, 12 more than any other pair, and a shared record six-century stand. The lead is recent: the Indian line steepens from 2025, just as the Australian one stops.
The chart below shows the cumulative opening partnership runs over time for the six most prolific pairs in women’s T20Is. Each step represents a partnership.
Quick and reliable
The chart below compares the 31 opening pairs with at least 20 innings together. A typical pair averages 26 runs per dismissal at under seven an over.
Each circle represents an opening pair with at least 20 innings together. Circle size indicates total runs, while the axes show average runs per dismissal and runs per over. Dashed lines mark the typical pair
Among the 10 pairs with 1,000-plus runs, none scores faster. England’s Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley come closest (8.23 an over) but average 28; South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits average 44.4 but score at 6.85. Only Oman’s pair, over just 20 innings, is ahead on both counts. The pairing has changed Smriti too: with Mithali Raj, she opened at 7.07 an over; with Shafali, 8.34.
A pair can average more by surviving longer or by scoring faster. The Indian pair lasts 28 balls per wicket against 25 for other established pairs, but scores over one and a half runs an over faster. The table below compares the Smriti-Shafali partnership with other established opening pairs, covering balls faced per wicket, scoring rate and runs per dismissal
Note: Powerplay figures count only balls bowled while the opening stand was intact. “Other openers” refers to the other 30 pairs with at least 20 innings together for whole-partnership figures, and all other opening pairs for powerplay figures
Of their 11 extra runs per wicket, about seven come from speed and four from staying in longer. The gap is sharpest in the powerplay: 8.4 an over against 5.8 for other openers, about 15 extra runs in six overs, with boundaries off 22.7% of balls, twice the rate of others. Survival barely differs: 26% of their stands last six overs, against 23%. Bowlers dismiss them as often as any good pair; they just cannot stop the runs first.
After a dip in 2023, when they scored at 7.04 an over, the pair has averaged 48 runs an innings at 9.27 an over since January 2025, against 34 at 7.91 before. Their 973 runs in 2026 are the most in any year.
The chart below compares the opening-partnership runs by calendar year, alongside the scoring rate and number of innings. Blue bars represent 2025 and 2026 (through October 7)
India won 60 of the 100 completed matches in which this pair opened, but their results varied sharply with the size of the opening stand. When the pair added fewer than 20 runs, India won 51% of matches; for stands of 20-49, the figure was 50%. But once they crossed 50, India won 24 of 29 matches (83%). Until the stand reaches 50, India’s win rate barely shifts; beyond it, their chances improve sharply.
Added responsibilities
The appointment puts India’s most crucial phase in the hands of its leaders, but carries a risk. In 18% of their innings together, both fell for under 15, leaving India without its captain and vice-captain early. Yet in 65% of innings, at least one scored 30 or more.
Both are currently scoring faster than ever. In their last 15 innings, Shafali’s strike rate exceeded 170 and Mandhana’s 150, career highs over any 15-innings stretch. The Zimbabwe series will show whether leadership changes their tempo.
The data for the charts were sourced from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) ball-by-ball records of women’s T20 Internationals till October 7. Run rates use legal deliveries. Win figures exclude ties and no-results
Kapil Gupta is an Assistant Professor of Decision Sciences and Operations Management at IIM Kozhikode
Published – October 16, 2026 08:00 am IST
