It was a heartbreaking side to see the Indian women cricket team to see the World Cup final to Australians by 85 runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground, however, what was more difficult to watch was 16-year-old Shafali Verma breaking down into tears after India’s defeat.
The 16-year-old cricketer gave a stunning performance throughout the tournament and was able to attain the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for batters in T20Is. Before the final match, she had amassed 167 runs in only 4 matches and was the leading run-scorer from Team India.
However, Shafali Verma failed to give the best of her abilities in the final match and was dismissed early after scoring only two runs. Later after the Indian cricket team lost the game to Australians, Shefali Verma couldn’t hold back her emotions and broke down.
On Monday, former pacer Brett Lee opened up about how it was difficult for him to watch India’s batting sensation Shafali Verma in tears. In a column for ICC, Brett Lee said:
” I really felt for Shafali Verma at the end, it was tough seeing her in tears but she should be very proud of the way she’s performed in Australia,”
He added:
“To come out here and face your first tournament head-on is testament to her talent and mental strength, and she’s only going to get better from here,”
Brett Lee further wrote how he expects the Indian cricket team to learn from their experience and come back stronger. He wrote:
“…she’ll learn from this experience and come back stronger. Moments like this can define you in a positive way…Don’t be surprised to see her put a big score on the Aussies the next time they play.”
