Sushma Verma learned wicketkeeping by watching MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist

In the list of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, Indian keeper Sushma Verma’s name comes at the top. The lady from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh took 7 catches and was involved in 8 stumpings to achieve the feat. However, not many acknowledged her stunning glovework behind the stumps. The 24-year old revealed that she used to learn about wicketkeeping by watching former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian legend Adam Gilchrist.

After an extraordinary campaign in the WWC 2017, the courageous women in blue were subjected to a warm reception in their way back to the country. While veterans like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami were praised for their mountain-like contributions towards the Indian Women’s cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur was praised for her fiery innings in the semi-finals against the Aussies. But only one journalist was there to acknowledge Sushma’s efforts.

“You are the first person to acknowledge that I ended the World Cup with most dismissals,” said Sushma, after the team arrived with runners-up’s medals. But she is not very angry on the people for their ignorance. “It is OK. I am aware of what I have done, what I am doing and what I have to do. It is only now that people have started to follow women’s cricket with interest,” she said smiling while talking to DNA India.

“If you keep well for 49 overs and miss a catch or a stumping in the 50th, nobody will remember the 49 overs of good work. I have tuned my mind to the extent that I (as a wicketkeeper) will not get appreciation, that I am a contributor who gets less credit, but still have to do my job. We are not playing to entertain the public. We play because we like to play and are passionate about it,” she further added.

A former student of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Academy (HPCA), Verma said that she had to work harder for starting her coaching very late. “Since I started to play cricket at 17, I needed to do a lot more than other players. People debuted for India at 17, and here I was starting to play cricket at 17. My personal coach, Pawan Singh at the academy initiated me into wicketkeeping. He had very less knowledge about wicketkeeping. We used to watch videos of Adam Gilchrist and later MS Dhoni and learn,” said the player who has represented Indian women team 29 times in ODIs.

Mission WWC 2021

Verma feels that India played brilliant cricket in the final against England for 90 overs but lost the plot in the last 10 overs. Hence, for the next edition of the women’s cricket’s biggest event, she wants to train hard. “It is a learning process for all the youngsters who are representing for the first time in World Cup. I’m sure this World Cup loss has taught us how to handle the situation in front of 28,000-plus crowd. For the next World Cup, we need more and more practice,” she signed off.