IND vs PAK: Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh began their cricketing careers watching Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. Shafali’s journey began when she attended Sachin Tendulkar’s final Ranji Trophy game in Lahli. Richa got into it after watching MS Dhoni’s World Cup victory from her house in Siliguri. The teenagers assisted India in winning the first U-19 Women’s World Cup a few weeks ago. India will play Pakistan in their opening World Cup match on Sunday, and without Smriti Mandhana, India will rely on their effervescent youngsters to step up at the senior level. Follow Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
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IND vs PAK: CHECK how MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar fans, Shafali Verma & Richa Ghosh will lead India’s charge vs Pakistan Today, Follow Women’s T20 World Cup LIVE
Shib Shankar Paul and Ashwani Kumar, who are their respective coaches, were drawn to their players’ natural power striking.
“Richa can hit sixes at will. She can just stand and hit it out of the park. Her strength is very natural. At present, she is one of the cleanest strikers in this Indian cricket team,” Paul, a former Bengal and India A medium pacer, told The Indian Express. “She likes Dhoni because of his six-hitting prowess,” he added.
With the U-19 world cup victory, Shafali’s father believes the monkey is off his back, and he is now optimistic that his daughter will replicate the accomplishment for the senior team.
“The heartbreak of 2020 is not healed yet, but winning the U-19 title was a big confidence booster for Shafali. She has got the taste of winning. For any athlete, there is no better thing than the habit of winning. It is a team game and I believe this Indian team can go all the way, considering their talent and depth in the squad,” said Sanjeev.
Concerning their children’s zeal to hit every ball for a boundary, Kumar and Paul share the same concern.
“With time she will realise that she can’t hit every ball for a four or six. To keep the bowler under the pump is her game, she has terrorised the world’s best bowlers, but at the same time you can’t throw away a good start. She is still 19 and called it an exuberance of youth, but that’s her game and that keeps me on edge. In recent times, she has worked on her strike rotation, which I must say is a pleasing development,” Kumar, a former Haryana Ranji Trophy coach, had said.
Paul, who is also a bowler, believes that Richa must play with measured aggression when the stakes are high. “Being brave is great but you must win the battle. What is the point if she scores an 8-ball 15 and ends up on the losing side. I want her to be calculative in her approach, because her role in the team is as a finisher. I have been telling her this everytime we train or talk – to be patient and that it is okay to play a couple of dot balls,” said Paul.
IND vs PAK: CHECK how MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar fans, Shafali Verma & Richa Ghosh will lead India’s charge vs Pakistan Today, Follow Women’s T20 World Cup LIVE
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