Miss pizza, Doremon: Shafali on renewed hunger for runs
CHANDIGARH: It took 377 days to see Shafali Verma bat in an international after the fearless opener single-handedly took India to the T20 World Cup final in Australia early last year. Ironically, the 17-year-old was dropped for the five-match ODI series against South Africa in Lucknow. The women’s selection committee, headed by Neetu David, had miscalculated. Not only did India lose the ODI series 1-4, fans were robbed the chance to watch the fearless batting of Verma.
“It struck me, if I was not selected in the ODI team there must have been some scope for improvement. I was a bit disappointed, but I knew I would get a chance in the T20s and focused on that.
“I was itching to go out there and translate one year of hard work and preparation into good performance. While the ODIs were happening, I was with the team, training and learning different aspects of the game from the sidelines,” said Verma.
The teenager made her point, scoring 23, 47 and 60 in the three T20s that followed, entertaining the crowd by hitting smooth sixes and showing what India had missed in the 50-over series. Though India lost the series 1-2, Verma’s 30-ball 60 in the last T20 tie summed up her talent and grit.
“I worked very hard on my skills, physical and mental, after the T20 World Cup last year. There was not much cricket in the calendar, domestic or international. Also, the World Cup defeat was stuck in my mind. The Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) really looked after me. I held discussions with my coach Ashwini Kumar and told him what I wanted to work on. The association gave me a physiologist and a nutritionist. I was working on my mental and physical well-being, apart from rigorous training in the nets. Counselling sessions helped get over the World Cup loss,” said Verma, who rose to No. 1 in T20 rankings after the series, though she is yet to make her
ODI debut.
Indian women cricketers endured a year of frustration without any international between the T20 World Cup and the South Africa series, barring a T20 challenge of four matches in all during IPL 2020.
Verma continued to work away from the spotlight. She lost six kilos and batted for hours daily at the Shri Ram Narain Cricket Club in Rohtak, facing male pacers bowling upwards of 135 kph.
“At the end of the day, we do realise she is just 17. She is a special talent in women’s cricket, so we’re grooming her like that. HCA wants to give her the best of facilities and services so she can do well for India. She was a bit disappointed not being in the ODI team, but knew she could earn an ODI call-up soon if she did well in the T20s,” said her coach Ashwini Kumar, a former Haryana Ranji Trophy player.
Verma, who will appear for her class X exams in May, is no longer into fast food and Doremon cartoons. A vegetarian, she now follows a strict diet regime.
“I miss my pizza and Doremon. Now my diet includes more vegetables. I did not know much about these things before. But when you play at the international level, you learn a lot from your seniors and the fitness trainers constantly work on your bodies. I found it very easy to score against South Africa because I had come with ideal preparation. My focus is on cricket at the moment,” said the Sachin Tendulkar fan with an incredible strike-rate of 148.31 in her 22 T20s.
Eyes on ODIs
When ODI skipper Mithali Raj was asked ahead of the series against South Africa whether Verma is in the reckoning for the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand, she said: “Shafali is definitely on the radar for ODIs. You just need to have a bit more patience, you will see her soon.”
Verma is ready to tweak her game if selected to play for India in ODIs.
“When you are playing 50-overs game, you have to stay at the wicket longer and build a big innings to have an impact. When I am playing T20s, the coach and captain give me the freedom to go after the bowlers and stick to my natural game. In ODIs, I want to apply myself to stay at the wicket for as many overs as possible and build a long innings. I am not thinking of the World Cup at the moment, but I want to cement my place in the ODIs as well.”
Verma was picked first in the India T20 team in 2019, for a series against South Africa, after impressing while playing for Haryana at the age of 16. She became the youngest Indian to score an international half-century, bettering a 30-year mark by Tendulkar, who too was only 16 when he achieved the feat.
The last edition of Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) did not feature Indian players due to a clash with the T20 Challenge in the UAE. Verma is excited to be part of a foreign league if BCCI gives the go ahead.
“I have seen WBBL matches on TV. All top cricketers of the world play there. It would be wonderful to get a chance to go to Australia and compete in WBBL like Harman didi and Smriti didi (Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana). I enjoyed playing on Australian wickets in the World Cup in 2020. I am sure, the exposure would help scale up my game.”