Will continue to go for my shots from the word go, insists Shafali Verma

The attacking opener Shafali Verma, who has a strike rate of 146 in 19 T20Is, has added the much-needed power fire at the top for the Indian women’s team with her excellent hitting abilities, which helped India reach the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year. She was named in the team of the tournament.

Shafali, who started off as an unknown face in the 2019 Women’s T20 Challenge, is going to be led by Mithali Raj as the three-team series starts in the UAE on Wednesday. She insisted that she will continue to play attacking cricket in the upcoming T20 Challenge and praised BCCI for conducting the tournament despite the pandemic. 

“I’m excited to hit the ground for the games; to just play my shots. I miss playing with Smriti Mandhana and for the Indian team. It’s amazing how Women’s T20 challenge has been organised during a pandemic. I will continue to go for my shots from the word go, help my team win. Till we return to wear the blue jersey, I will give my best in the UAE,” Shafali said as quoted by Hindustan Times. 

Shafali, who holds the record for the youngest Indian to score an international half-century, will be playing her first game post the loss to Australia in the T20 World Cup final. She revealed that she has worked on her game and has learned to adapt to her mindset according to the conditions. 

“The quarantine time in Mumbai and Dubai has been really tough. We have stuck to each other through phone calls. When I last played this tournament in Jaipur I was nervous, but having played for India in the West Indies, and in Australia in the World Cup, it has made me confident. I have learnt new techniques and how to switch my mindset according to the situation,” she said.