India’s trophy-winning captain Shafali Verma, her opening partner Shweta Sehrawat and leg-spinner Parshavi Chopra have been included in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup team of the tournament, day after beating England by seven wickets in the final at Potchefstroom in South Africa.
Shafali was at her destructive best with the bat and her tactical best as captain throughout the tournament. She would have liked to be more consistent with the bat but the rate at which her runs came (at 193.25) made up for it.
Her 34-ball 78 against UAE was an exhibition in power-hitting as she smashed the bowlers to all parts of the ground for 12 fours and four sixes. She was the third-highest run-getter in the tournament with 172 runs. Shafali also chipped in with handy overs, scalping four wickets in seven games at an economy rate of just 5.04.
Shweta shone the brightest as India emerged as the winner of the inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, bringing the country’s first-ever trophy in women’s cricket. The Indian vice-captain started the tournament with a classy 92 not out against South Africa, setting the tone for the rest of the tournament.
She notched up two more half-centuries (74 not out against UAE and 61 not out against New Zealand) and eventually finished as the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 297 runs at an average of 99 and a strike rate of 139.43. With an incredible showing at the tournament, Shweta will be expected to carry on the superb show and be in the senior team in future.
Parshavi had a slow start to the tournament, picking up only two wickets in India’s first three games. However, she made up for it at the business end of the tournament and finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets in six games.
In the final Super Six game, Parshavi was all over Sri Lanka, returning with figures of 4-5. She followed that up with a 3-20 in the crunch semifinal victory against New Zealand and 2-13 in the final, which included the wicket of England’s top-scorer of the day, Ryana MacDonald-Gay.
The team of the tournament has England captain Grace Scrivens appointed as skipper, who also took the Player of the Tournament award, and is joined by compatriots, leg-spinner Hannah Baker and seam bowler Ellie Anderson.
Others who make up the team of the tournament are New Zealand batter Georgia Plimmer, Sri Lanka all-rounder Dewmi Vihanga, Bangladesh’s big-hitting batter Shorna Akter, South Africa wicketkeeper Karabo Meso, Australia’s pace bowler Maggie Clark and Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Anosha Nasir, who is slotted in as 12th man.
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