WPL 2024: Shafali Verma's fluency in Delhi Capitals key for India in T20 World Cup year

WPL Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz: Shafali Verma hit 10 boundaries – six fours and four sixes – to help the Delhi Capitals put their first 2 points on the WPL 2024 Points Table. (File image via X)

“Sabko phod rahi hain woh, sabko (she’s smashing them all  —  all of them),” is quite the apt way to sum up Shafali Verma’s style of play. And her Delhi Capitals team-mate and fellow India international Radha Yadav worded her praise for Verma just as commensurately after the 20-year-old struck an unbeaten 64 to guide the Delhi Capitals to their first victory of WPL 2024, against the UP Warriorz on Monday evening.

“To bowl at Shifu in the nets — sabko phod rahi hain woh, sabko,” Yadav said in a chat with Shafali Verma on WPLT20.com, “and that’s showing in the matches, too”.

Chasing a below-par 120, Delhi Capitals, the runners-up from the inaugural season in 2023, cruised to the target in just 14.3 overs, thanks to Verma’s 43-ball blitz and a mammoth 119-run opening stand with captain Meg Lanning. While Verma carried her bat en route to hitting 10 boundaries – six fours and four sixes – Lanning perished for a well-made 43-ball 51 with just one run needed to seal the match.

“I was batting well even in the last match, but I couldn’t convert it,” Verma, who was dropped on 48 by Kiran Navgire in the 12th over, told WPLT20.com after Capitals’ nine-wicket victory in Bengaluru. “I was striking it well today, so I thought that I should make it count and make my team win. I wanted to get my team our first points of the season. I took some time to build the innings, but thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was great batting with Meg.”

Verma’s knock had the touch of the vintage big-hitter she has proven to be time and again since making a splash at the now-defunct Women's T20 Challenge in 2019. Her batting avatar on Monday was unlike the India opener version of herself who had endured an up-and-down run in the recent white-ball series against England and Australia at home in December-January. Her scores in the T20Is against Australia read 26, 1 and 64 not-out while in the England T20I series prior, she amassed 6, 0 and 52.

T20 World Cup year

Verma’s onslaught at the M Chinnaswamy was a reminder of just how dangerous she can be, and the key cog she is, not only in the Capitals top-order but also India’s. This, not least in a T20 World Cup year, where the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India would expect fluency, form and consistency from Verma as they renew their pursuit of a maiden senior women’s world title.

To that end, some words of wisdom from Lanning, Australia’s former multiple World Cup-winning captain and a clutch batter at world tournaments, could hold Verma in good stead during the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September-October. “Meg told me we should play our shots, and only when some 10 runs are left, we will have a chat with each other and go for the big shots,” said Verma. “She was giving me insights on the different types of bowlers who were coming in to bowl. That really helps you as a batter. That I really liked [about our partnership].”