Win the World Cup has always been a dream for Harmanpreet Kaur, We hope can make it come true: Shafali Verma

With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup commencing, all eyes will be on Team India as they aim to create ‘HerStory’ by winning their very first championship. On October 4, India will play their first match against New Zealand.

Shafali Verma talked about her feelings about playing Sophie Devine in the opening match versus New Zealand. Yes, we play New Zealand in our opening match, and it will be great to play them again after a lengthy absence. For the last six to seven months, we have been getting ready for the World Cup, and we are all excited about it. We’ll want to get Sophie Devine out early since she is a daring hitter.

Shafali Verma also discussed her friendship with Smriti Mandhana on the pitch. After opening for the previous two to three years with Smriti, we are now able to read each other’s emotions from our batted facial expressions. We are aware of each other’s advantages and disadvantages and we encourage one another. We strive to perform well for ourselves, our teammates, and the nation because we recognise how crucial each of us is to the team, particularly during the powerplay. Smriti di is a superb ball timer who understands how to construct an innings. Her timing and her capacity to put together a lengthy innings are the two aspects of her batting that I like the most.

Shafali Verma went on to discuss her relationship with Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team.

“Harmanpreet di has a strong enthusiasm for the game. She has always dreamed of winning the World Cup, and I hope we can fulfil that desire. She constantly encourages and motivates us and is a good captain as well as a superb player and comrade.

When asked about her 2020 Women’s World Cup debut at the age of 16, Shafali said, “I really enjoyed my first World Cup experience.” My 16-year-old debut was a huge event to me, and I had a great time in Australia. It wasn’t simply the sport; I also relished travelling across the nation. I played well for the squad, and the event was unique. That World Cup always makes me grin when I think back on it. We really should win this time around because we came so close to doing so the last time.

Shafali remembered playing in the MCG final as well. “The large crowd made it impossible for me to hear anything. My first-ever experience performing in front of a crowd this size was quite different. I’ve learnt to focus better now, but I was distracted by the noise and the mood. If I were in that circumstance once more, I wouldn’t experience the same pressure.”

“Winning the U19 World Cup was a huge moment—not just for me, but for my family, my country, and every woman out there,” Shafali continued after winning the competition. I was shedding happy tears since it was a day to remember.

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I am still inspired by that moment every time I look at the photos because I accomplished something that no other Indian woman has. We had a close-knit team, and I hope we can continue to succeed in 2024.