Shafali Verma Leads India Past ECB Development XI in Chelmsford — En-w Vs Indw
Shafali Verma’s 25-ball 50 drove India past the ECB Development XI by seven wickets in Chelmsford on Monday in en-w vs indw. India reached the target with three overs to spare in the first of two warm-up games before the three-match T20I tour of England later in May 2026.
Verma and Bhatia set the pace
Verma and Yastika Bhatia put on 77 runs off 42 balls, turning a chase that had started with early pressure into a clean finish. India needed that burst after losing Smriti Mandhana, who made 15 runs in the first over before being run out after slicing a full toss from Clara Thaker to Liberty Heap.
The chase still had enough control to finish early. Bharti Fulmali batted at number 4 in Harmanpreet Kaur’s absence, giving India a different middle-order look while the side continued its England preparation.
ECB Development XI slip early
ECB’s innings never settled after falling to 16/3 in the third over. Arundhati Reddy did the damage in the PowerPlay with two wickets in one over, and that start left the home side working from behind for the rest of the innings.
Joanne Gardner and Sophia Smale pushed ECB Development XI to 154/6, but India’s reply never needed the full allocation. The target was chased with three overs left, a margin that reflected how quickly Verma and Bhatia changed the tempo after the early wickets and Mandhana’s exit.
India’s tour build-up
The win matters because it opened India’s warm-up schedule before the three-match T20I tour of England and the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup. Harmanpreet Kaur was absent because she received her Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi, so India had to test its balance without its regular captain while still getting useful match time in Chelmsford.
Nandni Sharma also recorded her first run with the senior side, another small but useful step in a match that was more about finding rhythm than chasing a headline score. India got both: a seven-wicket win, a 25-ball half-century from Verma, and a chase completed with time to spare.
