Shafali Verma, the captain of the India women’s under-19 team, got emotional and let the floodgates of happy tears open during the post-match ceremony after she had led the team to victory in the final against England u-19 as India won the inaugural Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa.
As the sun started setting in Potchefstroom, the youngsters from India completed a historic win to grab the maiden women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup trophy at the Senwes Park.
India remained undefeated throughout the tournament: India won all their 5 group matches in the Super Six, defeated New Zealand in the semi-final, followed by a 7-wicket victory in the final over England.
Shafali had won the toss and had elected to bowl first at the Senwes Park. England couldn’t take up the pressure and failed to handle the Indian bowlers. Titas Sadhu was rewarded with the Player of the Match award for her stunning bowling figures of 6/2 in 4 overs. England folded all out for 68, a target which India chased down losing only 3 wickets and with 6 overs to spare.
Skipper and opener Shafali Verma and wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh are the two players who are part of the senior Indian women’s team, and have had some heartbreaks on the field in the past few years.
Today, in the evening in Potchefstroom, Shafali Verma shed some happy tears after leading India to a terrific, dominating victory.
Watch the video here:
Shafali Verma could not hold back her tears. She doesn’t need to. She has led a team that has added the brightest chapter in Indian women’s cricket’s history. #WorldChampions pic.twitter.com/Ymao2rI2ID
— Aritra Mukherjee (@aritram029) January 29, 2023
Shafali finished as the third-highest scorer in the tournament while her opening partner Shweta Sehrawat finished as the highest-scorer of the tournament.
Speaking to the host in the post-match presentation, Shafali said: “The way all the girls are performing and backing each other, so happy. Incredible feeling. Thanks to the staff, the way they have been backing us everyday and telling us that we are here for the cup and because of them we are here. All thanks to them. The players have been backing me a lot. Thanks to BCCI for giving me this beautiful team and really happy for winning the cup.
She (Shweta Sehrawat) has been excellent and has followed all the plans from the staff. Not just her, Archana, Soumya and I can’t really take the names but they all have been incredible. No, definitely not (when asked if this is the only tournament she’s gonna pick up this season in South Africa).”
