The young Indian opener Shafali Verma‘s performance in the opening Twenty20 International match against Bangladesh on Sunday, July 9, at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur disappointed former India captain Anjum Chopra. To take a 1-0 lead in the three-game series, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team outperformed Bangladesh by seven wickets.
With the help of debutant Minnu Mani, Pooja Vastrakar, Shafali Verma, and other players, India limited the hosts to a score of 114, which was below par. Thanks to Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbroken 54 runs while batting second, India easily completed the target’s chase with seven wickets and 22 deliveries remaining.
Marufa Akter ejected Verma for a three-ball duck, and Chopra criticized him while evaluating the game. The 46-year-old also praised Bangladeshi fast bowler Akter, claiming that while she has pace and swing, Verma should have been better prepared to open the innings.
“I observed the same deficiency when India batted, notably Shafali Verma. In their starting lineup, Bangladesh only used one fast bowler. Marufa Akter is a very young player, and we saw her play in the T20 World Cup in February. She has pace and swing, but you should be a little bit prepared as an opener, Chopra stated in a video posted to her YouTube channel.
If you did, it wasn’t enough because you haven’t put any effort into improving yourself. Anjum Chopra
The ex-cricketer continued by denouncing Verma for leaving the game without having an influence at the top of the order. The 19-year-old’s performance, according to the 46-year-old, shows that she has not, or has only somewhat, worked on herself.
“Shafali Verma once again made the same error. She fiddled with the front pad and exited LBW without logging into her account. The fact that she left for a duck will have an impact, but the manner in which she left will have a greater impact. If you haven’t worked on yourself, or if you have, your efforts weren’t sufficient, she said.
The former cricketer-turned-commentator added that it’s typical for players to act in that manner when they’re hitting runs. She continued by saying that Verma herself and the Indian coaching staff must improve on her technical flaws in the forthcoming games.
“This is not a mistake you make in the first game of a season or series. When you are scoring runs, it is understandable if you play that way. Therefore, this serves as a warning as well as homework, particularly for Shafali Verma or the Indian team’s coaching staff, the former captain added.
India
