Watch: Shafali Verma’s spectacular whip shot off Shabnam Ismail at the start of the innings

Shabnim Ismail is considered one of the fastest bowlers in Women’s Cricket and it is very tough to put a veteran bowler like her under pressure. More often than not, she strikes for South Africa which has been the case in the ongoing Women’s World Cup as well. However, India opener Shafali Verma was in […]
 By CricXtasy Staff Mar 27, 2022, 08:35 IST
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Watch: Shafali Verma’s spectacular whip shot off Shabnam Ismail at the start of the innings

Shabnim Ismail is considered one of the fastest bowlers in Women’s Cricket and it is very tough to put a veteran bowler like her under pressure. More often than not, she strikes for South Africa which has been the case in the ongoing Women’s World Cup as well. However, India opener Shafali Verma was in no mood to spare her on Sunday (March 27) when the two teams clashed.

It was a must-win game for India while South Africa had already made it to the top four. Mithali Raj opted to bat first after winning the toss and Shafali Verma didn’t waste any time in taking the attack on the opposition bowlers. 

She was authoritative in her shot-making right from the word go. But the shot she played off Ismail in the third over of the innings left everyone stunned including the bowler herself. Shafali walked off across a long way towards her off-side exposing all her stumps. Ismail wasn’t expecting it at all and within a second, Shafali played a brilliant whip shot to send a short of a length delivery to the boundary over short fine leg region.

Everyone including the bowler was amazed with the innovation from the young batter and Ismail had a wry smile on her face.

Here’s the video:

Watch: Shafali Verma’s spectacular whip shot off Shabnam Ismail at the start of the innings

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Shafali Verma scores an enterprising fifty

It wasn’t the only time Shafali Verma impressed the crowd. It was like the young prodigy was on a mission to play a blinder for India in a must-win game and she did while playing some excellent shots even outshining her opening partner Smriti Mandhana. 

Shafali latched on to anything short or wide leaving South Africa bowlers out of ideas. She didn’t spare even South Africa’s joint-highest wicket-taker Ayabonga Khaka and at times, also came down the track to smash her down the ground. 

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Eventually, she also reached her fifty thumping Masabata Klaas over mid-on which almost went for a six. Unfortunately, she got run-out but not before scoring 53 off 46 balls with 8 fours to her name and the opening stand of 91 runs laid a perfect foundation for India.

This was the knock India needed from Shafali Verma right through the tournament and it came at the perfect time. It remains to be seen if the team posts a huge total on the board now. India have to win this game in order to make it to the semi-final of the World Cup.

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