Shafali given freedom to play natural game: Harmanpreet

India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday said team manment has given Shafali Verma freedom to play her natural game, which has set Women's T20 World Cup ablaze. 16-year-old anunced her emergence on global st by becoming second-highest run-getter in ongoing tournament. She has so far scored 161 runs, hitting 18 fours and nine sixes in four matches at an astounding strike rate of 161. On Saturday, Shafali hit a 34-ball 47 to steer India to a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka after spinner Radha Yadav produced a career-best 4/23.

"Shafali is someone who loves to play big shots, and we don't want to stop her. She should continue doing same and she should continue enjoying her game," Harmanpreet said after match.

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India entered semifinals with an all-win record as y led Group A with eight points from four games and captain insisted it is important to continue winning momentum."It's really important to keep momentum when you are winning games. You really work hard, so you can't afford to lose that momentum. You can't bowl same pace and lengths on se wickets, so you need to keep rotating bowlers." skipper, herself is kwn to be a power hitter, has endured a poor start to tournament by failing to reach double-digit scores. However, against Sri Lanka, she hit two boundaries and a maximum.

"Today I tried to be positive and got a few boundaries. In upcoming games I'll try to give my best," Harmanpreet said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Atapattu rued reprieves given by her side to Shafali in form of two dropped catches."I think that score was t eugh, we lost couple of chances, specially Shafali, it was hard to stop her," she said."Yeah, I got a good start but unfortunately got out in 10th, would have wanted to stay in re till 16th or 17th over. I hope we can beat Bangladesh in our last game," she added.

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