ICC Women's WT20 | Can’t blame Shafali Verma for World Cup final loss, states Harmanpreet Kaur
Despite the loss at the hands of Australia, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said that she can’t and won’t blame the youngster Shafali Verma for India’s loss. She further added it was Verma’s effort which took the Indian team to the finals, thanks to her 163 runs in the group stages, all at the age of 16.
Following the loss, Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that the tournament was a bitter-sweet experience for the Indian team. After posting five straight victories, they faced Australia in the final, with their semi-final against England being washed out. She further added that the blame should not be on the youngster for her performance in the final, as it was a collective failure for the team.Â
“She’s only 16, she’s playing her first World Cup. She did really, really well and performed for us. For a 16-year-old kid, it’s difficult to keep thinking positively and stay in the game. It’s a learning lesson for her but it could happen to anyone. We can’t blame her because there were others also in her position,” she said, reported Hindustan Times.Â
However, she did admit that it was a big lesson for the team, for the fielding unit. With two drop catches, India lost the game and let it slip away further allowing Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy. Now, under Harmanpreet Kaur, India have lost back-to-back World Cup finals, after finishing second against England in 2017. However, she was insistent that the team will continue to improve on their performance going into the future.Â
“We weren’t feeling under pressure but unfortunately we were unable to create those chances. It’s a lesson for all of us, we have to be at 100 per cent when we’re fielding because that’s the most important part of cricket,” he added.Â