Mithali Raj expects Shafali Varma to shine in 2022 World Cup with guidance from Smriti Mandhana

India Women ODI captain Mithali Raj backed Shafali Verma to come good at the 2022 Women's World Cup, which kicks off on March 4 in New Zealand, with "guidance and support" from her opening partner Smriti Mandhana.

In her column for the International Cricket Council (ICC), Raj wrote:

"Shafali Verma is surely one of the players being watched with great enthusiasm back home."

She went on to add:

"She is one of the world’s rising stars and I am backing her to have more impressive performances for India throughout the tournament with guidance and support from the stylish Smriti Mandhana at the other end."

Mithali Raj also backed another youngster, Richa Ghosh, to do well in the World Cup.

"Taniya Bhatia has been very reliable behind the stumps and Richa Ghosh is hot on her heels, meaning we have two wicketkeepers we can trust."

Earlier today, Richa Ghosh smashed the fastest ODI century for India Women in their defeat to New Zealand Women in the fourth Women's ODI.

Ghosh hit 52 off 29, with four boundaries and four sixes in their chase of 192, getting to her half-century in 26 deliveries.

However, India Women were bowled out for 128 in a rain-affected match that was curtailed to 20 overs per team as New Zealand Women took a 4-0 lead in the five-match series.

New Zealand series helped India Women acclimatize ahead of World Cup: Mithali Raj

India Women have lost the only T20 International (T20I) in New Zealand, as well as four ODIs in the five-match series so far, but Mithali Raj said the experience would have helped them greatly ahead of the marquee event.

"The series in New Zealand has given us a chance to acclimatise, particularly to the seaming conditions we don’t often experience at home," she wrote.

She also said that playing against teams like England, Australia and New Zealand in the lead-up to the World Cup puts India in good stead.

"Against England, we won one of the three ODI matches and put up a good fight in the other two before beating Australia to end their run of 26 one-day wins."

Mithali Raj went on to add:

"Those results show what is possible if we come together as a team and believe in ourselves. The the recent results against England and Australia prove that India is capable of winning the upcoming women’s World Cup."

India reached the final of the last Women's World Cup, losing to England by just eight runs.