Shafali Verma is currently training with the U-25 Men’s cricketers to improve her short ball game after her struggle in Australia.
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Shafali Verma has been a prodigy for the Indian Women’s team. She made her debut at an age of 15 against South Africa in 2019, where he got out on a duck. However, she proved her mark to the world in the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia. Verma scored 163 runs at an average of 32.60, whereas her strike-rate was 158.15. Just when Shafali was making her name, Covid stopped the cricketing action.
In 2021, Shafali made her test debut against England in Bristol, where she had a brilliant start. She has scored three half-centuries in just a couple of test matches. Shafali made her ODI debut in 2021 as well. The partnership of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma at the top is one of the best in the World.
Shafali Verma training with U-25 Boys to improve short-ball game
Despite her brilliant performance in England, she was struggling against short balls in England and Australia. All the bowlers were using this weakness of hers. To improve upon that, she is currently practicing with U-25 Men’s cricket players. Verma is practicing around 250 balls every day against the pace of 125-130 Km/H at Shri Ram Narain Cricket Academy in Gurugram. Her coach Ashwani Kumar is assisting her in the process. Shafali was backing a lot of on the short-balls, and she insists that she will improve upon that.
“It feels good that I have been able to complete two years in international cricket but there is a long way to go. I know the areas of my game I need to get better at and one of them is playing the short ball,” Shafali told PTI after a brand event.
“The coaches have also told me to play as per the ball and I will continue to do that. I will never change my game.”
“I won’t back away that much going forward. You will see me shuffling around the crease a lot more and play as per the merit of the ball.”
The Indian Women’s cricket team will now travel to New Zealand in February for a white-ball series. The world cup will also be played in New Zealand in March, and it will be good practice for them. New Zealand offers bouncy wickets and short balls will again be the overseas teams.
