Shafali Verma is a Rohtak girl from Haryana was born in 28th of the first month in 2004. Shfali Verma is the youngest player in Indian women cricket team famous to hit the ground with her shots. She never worried about who is balling and just concentrates on hitting the ball. She is an attacking right hand player. She said after her match that “I always practice and work hard on my batting. Ever since I started holding a bat, I have loved to play attackingly. That’s how it works for me.”
Shafali Verma also once said that at the age of five-six, she had just been watching her brother bat and ball, leg spin or used to be with him in his training sessions to collect balls. But when she started training for herself she felt good to work hard. She said her father never treated her as a girl as in their state girls are not allowed to play in common plots and ground and just meant for household chores. But she was the one to get full support from her father.
Shafali was named in India’s WT20I squad in September 2019 for the series against South Africa. She was the youngest player to play for India against West Indies in T20I match in November and became the youngest half centurion for India in International cricket. Against the West Indies, she scored 158 runs in five matches, and was named the player of the series
In January 2020, she was named in India’s squad for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, and was awarded with a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Ahead of the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, she was ranked as the number one batter in women’s T20I cricket. She had played 18 matches with a batting average of 28.52. She played her debut T20I match on 24th of September in 2019 against South Africa. This youngest girl Shafali Verma hit the ground with her four and six on Tuesday ICC T20 match.
Shafali Verma is the youngest series player of just 17 years old. Her strokes lead India to an easy nine wicket win over South Africa in the final match. She gained 60 runs in 30 balls which includes 7 four and 5 six. Her attacking side rocks the match and won the third ICC T20 women match. Shafali varma was titled with the Player of the Series after hitting 23, 47 and 60. The team could not get success in two matches but they won the last game under the captainship of Smriti Mandhana on 23rd of March against South Africa.
In one of the interview with Ridhima Pathak in ICC she told that she was just picking the ball till one hour when her father was coaching her brother on the ground. After that her father just to cheer up her asked to play one or two balls. She then kicks the shot and impresses her father in no time. Without wasting time she took the permission to play cricket.
She also mentioned how she played in her brother’s place in boy’s team. Once, her brother was playing U12 in local tournament in Panipat. Shafali Verma’s brother Sahil got ill and could not play match. Shafali was of just 10 year old said to his father Sanjeev Verma that “My hair look like boy and so just put the shirt and go for match.” Her father permitted her as girls do not play sports much in their town and she is the one who is interested in playing and that too in cricket.
No doubt that Shafali Verma is a good player and being too young she work hard and achieved her success. A lots of good wishes for her to continue playing in the same way and make India proud of her.
