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

By Pramit Meher

**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