Manchester, June 26: In a thrilling encounter against Bangladesh, India’s opening batsman Shefali Verma scored 53 runs off just 34 balls. For her outstanding performance, she was named ‘Player of the Match.’ Following the victory, the 22-year-old expressed satisfaction with her batting but admitted she would have felt even happier if she had remained not out.
The match, held at Old Trafford, saw the Bangladeshi team post a total of 136 runs, losing 8 wickets. In pursuit of this target, the Indian team clinched victory in just 16.5 overs.
Shefali provided a strong start for India, helping the team achieve its highest powerplay score in Women’s T20 World Cup history. She reached her half-century in just 29 balls, laying the foundation for an easy win.
After the match, Shefali stated, “I am very happy with the way I batted today, but I would have been even happier if I had stayed at the crease until the end. Nevertheless, I felt confident and am glad I could score some runs.”
Chasing Bangladesh’s score of 136/8, India needed 137 runs to win. Shefali mentioned that the batting group kept their strategy simple while pursuing the target. “Nothing special, just trusted my batting. We aimed to hit boundaries on bad balls and take singles otherwise. It was just casual talk, nothing different,” she explained.
During her innings, Shefali appeared completely in control, consistently finding gaps and capitalizing on poor deliveries. When asked if she made any specific changes to her batting, she replied, “I just try to choose the right balls to hit. I play shots on balls that come into my zone; otherwise, I take singles. It sounds simple, but it can be tough at times. However, I talked to myself a lot this time, and yes, everything went well, and I am very happy with it.”
Despite her significant contribution, Shefali expressed disappointment over how her innings ended. She was stumped in the ninth over. “Of course, I felt sad. The way I got out, as I mentioned earlier, if I hadn’t gotten out, I would have been much happier,” she said.
In addition to her batting, Shefali has also been utilized as a bowling option during the tournament. Speaking about this added responsibility, she credited captain Harmanpreet Kaur for her support whenever she was given the ball.
Shefali remarked, “Of course, I practice bowling with both new and old balls in the nets. Sometimes I laugh a lot, but ultimately, I am ready for whatever the team needs. Thanks to Harman, she always gives me a lot of confidence and sets great fields when I bowl. So, just a big thank you to her.”
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