NEW DELHI: With the Indian women’s cricket team gearing up for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, star Indian opening batter Shafali Verma has revealed drawing inspiration from Indian men’s team skipper Rohit Sharma‘s explosive Powerplay batting.
Shafali, known for her aggressive batting style, mentioned Rohit’s ability to maximize scoring opportunities during the powerplay overs as a key learning point.
“I would choose India’s Rohit Sharma because the way he utilizes the Powerplay is memorable to watch. Even in the World Cup, there are 2-3 innings I can recall. I always feel good watching how he makes the most of the Powerplay,” Shafali told Star Sports.
Shafali’s admiration for Rohit’s aggressive batting is understandable.
Rohit owns an impressive T20I career, amassing 4231 runs at a strike rate exceeding 140, including numerous match-winning performances in World Cups.
His ability to dominate the powerplay overs has been instrumental in India’s success in the shortest format.
Shafali herself has emerged as a vital cog in the Indian batting lineup. Her career statistics across formats reflect her aggressive approach and ability to score quickly.
In T20Is, she averages 25.63 with a strike rate of over 130, showcasing her potential to be a game-changer in the powerplay.
The Indian women’s team will be hoping to leverage the opener’s aggressive batting to their advantage as they aim for their maiden T20 World Cup title.
However, consistency remains a key area of improvement, as evidenced by their series losses against Australia and England earlier in the year and their recent Asia Cup final defeat to Sri Lanka.