Team India openers Shweta Sehrawat and skipper Shafali Verma helped the girls in blue to kickstart their campaign in the ongoing U19 Women’s T20 World Cup with a win over hosts South Africa by 7 wickets. One of the highlight aspects of the contest was the skipper carving out a majestic knock of 45 runs from a mere 16 balls with the help of six boundaries coming off just one over.
South Africa elected to bat first in the match and only managed to reach the score of 166 runs in their stipulated 20 overs. In response, India got off to a dominating start as the opening duo gave the side control in the clash.
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Shafali Verma then shifted gears and decided to target fast bowler, Nthabiseng Nini as she smashed the latter for five fours in the first five deliveries followed by a six in the final ball to make it 26 runs off the over.
SMASHED🏏 @TheShafaliVerma takes Nini to the cleaners! 26 off the over!
Watch the full match highlight only on #FanCode👉 https://t.co/gyoXD5iVB2 @BCCIWomen#ShuruaatYaheenSe #U19T20WorldCup #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/KouxwOQ52E
— FanCode (@FanCode) January 14, 2023
In the first ball, Shafali Verma glided the ball square of the third man to get her first boundary followed by slapping one to the offside in the second and fourth ball of the over. She continued her aggression as she hit one over the head off deep mid-on in the third and fifth ball and concluded the over by dispatching a boundary that sailed past the player at mid-on for a maximum.
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After the dismissal of Shafali, who played a phenomenal knock of 45 runs at a strike rate of 281.25, her opening partner Sehrawat kept the scoreboard ticking and eventually amassed an unbeaten 92 runs off 57 balls which included 20 fours.
It is worth mentioning that the skipper also racked up a couple of wickets under her belt for 31 runs in her four overs with the ball. Shweta Sehrawat was adjudged Player of the Match for her sensational knock in the first game of the marquee event.
