'I will never forget the welcome I received' - Shafali Verma on her return to home after T20 World Cup

Last month, Indian women’s cricket team fell short in front of the large MCG crowd. The occasion was the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final and they were up against Australia. Though India lost the final, they had proved what a good side they were. Leading up to the final, India had been unbeaten through the tournament. In fact, they had also beaten Australian in the first match of the event.

During the tournament, if one player who shined for India, it was the young opening batter, Shafali Verma. The Haryana player scored 163 runs from 5 innings at a strike rate of 159. She was the fifth-highest run-getter in the World Cup and the highest run-scorer for the Indian team.

Born in 2004, Shafali Verma is just 16 years old but surely possess the power of a top-level world-class batter. In each of the group matches, she helped India get to a good start. Interestingly, India’s average powerplay score was the highest among all teams, courtesy of her batting at the top of the order.

I felt very special, says Shafali Verma

In a recent interview, the youngster revealed that she had received a massive welcome when she returned to her hometown Rohtak after the final of the T20 World Cup. She said that it was like a dream for her and she will cherish that moment forever.

“I will never forget the welcome that I received at my home in Rohtak. There were dhols and music. My relatives received me with garlands and I felt pretty special. It was like a dream after a special tournament. I was eager to get back on the field, but now that is not possible due to the coronavirus outbreak”, she said in the interview reported by Hindustan Times. “Not everyone is lucky to play in a World Cup with some of the best cricketers. I got the opportunity and that too at such a young age,” Shafali expressed.

If not for the COVID-19 situation, Verma would have now been playing the Women’s domestic one-day tournament at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad. “I was pretty excited to play in that huge stadium but now I don’t know when it will start. Even the BCCI office is shut. So, it’s all wait and watch for me,” said Shafali.