One-dayers remain an unsolved puzzle for Shafali Verma | Cricket News – Times of India

Chennai: In Jan 2023, when Shafali Verma hoisted the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup trophy in South Africa, with tears of pleasure, she stated: “This is just the beginning.” The journey from that “beginning,” although, turned far bumpier than the younger opening batter might have imagined, culminating in her getting dropped from the India squad for the ODI World Cup at house beginning in September. With lean returns in ODIs and a dismal present at house in opposition to New Zealand, the axe fell in Nov final 12 months. Shafali was dropped from the ODI squad for the Australia tour and remained out of favour. Her final half-century got here in 2022. When the door closed, Shafali turned to home cricket and emerged because the main run-scorer in a format that has troubled her probably the most. She piled up 527 runs at a strike charge of 152.31 within the One-dayers for Haryana, together with a 197 off 115 balls. In March, donning Delhi Capitals jersey within the WPL, she completed because the fourth-highest run-getter general. In July this 12 months, Shafali roared again in Indian colors and confirmed flashes of her swagger throughout the T20I collection in England. For all her aptitude within the shortest format, ODIs remain Shafali’s unsolved puzzle. The batter has managed an common of 23 in 29 matches, and on the latest India A tour of Australia, her efficiency was underwhelming. So, when her identify went lacking from the upcoming house ODI World Cup squad, it hardly raised eyebrows. In her place got here Pratika Rawal, who made her debut final 12 months, and has made her case with regular returns at an common of 54. The 21-12 months-outdated Shafali must crack the 50-over format, in line with WV Raman, who was India girls’s head coach when a 15-12 months-outdated Shafali first broke into the scene. Shafali was India’s main run-getter within the 2020 T20 World Cup, a marketing campaign the place India went all the best way to the ultimate below Raman’s watch. “She has to work her way back into the team by working on her shortcomings. Basically, she needs to put up consistent performances in the 50-over format as Pratika has grabbed her opportunities and displaced Shafali.

“The other area that needs improvement is her fielding. What is important is for her is to fight her way back into the team. And she was given a fair bit of leeway when she started. A setback is always good to make a strong comeback,” Raman instructed TOI. Shafali, who as a child as soon as walked into an below-12 all-boys native event and walked out with the ‘Man of the Match’ and ‘Man of the Series’ medal, has all the time carried the identical audacity to the worldwide stage. Today, whilst she faces the primary large setback of her worldwide profession, the fierce and spunky prodigy nonetheless has age and time to show issues round. Shantha Rangaswamy, former chief selector, is assured of Shafali’s comeback. “She’s very talented but she needs to score consistently. Unless she does that, it won’t be fair to drop Pratika, who has done very well. My advice to her is: ‘You (Shafali) have age on your side, you are a talented cricketer, you just need to keep building scores consistently.’ I feel she will definitely make a comeback, because she is a huge talent,” stated Shantha, the primary captain of the Indian girls’s cricket crew.