'I told her she will play and might become captain' - Shafali Verma's father on cricketer being named U19 skipper

Promising batting sensation Shafali Verma, who has already made an impact in the Indian senior women’s team, has now been given the responsibility of leading the Indian side for the upcoming U-19 Women’s World Cup that gets underway on January 14, 2023. She was named the captain as the final squad was announced by the BCCI’s All India Selection Committee.

Meanwhile, Shafali’s father Sanjeev Verma expressed his happiness on his daughter getting a chance to lead India U19 in the World Cup and at the same time recalled one of their old conversations, when he had told her that she will play in the U19 World Cup and could also lead the side.

She wasn’t sure if she would play: Shafali Verma’s father

“I am delighted. We spoke about it last year when the World Cup was announced. She wasn’t sure if she would play. I told her she will play and might become captain also. Sometimes, you just have those instincts. I told her the important thing is that the women want to win a World Cup, and I told her there is a high chance of captaincy and bringing the World Cup home. If you win, it will be remembered forever by everyone. Today, I told her the same. Now, she also has it in her mind. I am also happy about whatever is happening,”  Sanjeev Verma told The New Indian Express.

Apart from Verma, another seasoned player Richa Ghosh has also been named in the Indian squad for the U19 Women’s World Cup. The emerging wicketkeeper-batter has already played 42 matches for the senior team.

Notably, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be taking place in South Africa from February 10 to February 26 and Shafali being a key figure in the international setup, the U19 stint will help her prepare for the marquee event.

The youngster had made a solid statement during the last edition of the showpiece event in 2020 down under by scoring 163 runs from five innings at a strike-rate of 158.25. The Women in Blue scripted history by making it to the finals but lost the ultimate clash to Australia.