table of contents
Team India is just one step away from reaching the semi-finals of the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup. Shafali Verma is looking full of confidence before her final match in the competition.
From Group A, Australia, India and South Africa are vying to capture the top two spots in the group to book a place in the semi-finals.
The Indian women’s cricket team is hanging by a thin rope
Netherlands, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the other two teams in the group who are not favored to qualify for the next round. The two teams playing in the semi-finals from Group A of the tournament will be decided on the coming Sunday.
The India women’s cricket team will have to overcome a strong hurdle as they face the mighty Australia. The Australian women’s cricket team is clear favorite to register a win over India but Indian women’s cricket team star Shafali Verma has refused to accept Australia as a superior force ahead of their clash at the prestigious Lord’s in London on Sunday.
Shafali Verma is confident before facing Australia
Shafali says that they had defeated Australia before the tournament, so the upcoming match is expected to be not a one-sided match but a tough competition between the two teams. Ahead of the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, these two teams faced each other for a three-match T20I series, where the Women in Blue defeated the Australian team 2-1.
Speaking on JioStar, Shafali Verma said, “Everyone knows Australia is a world-class team. But it is not that we have not beaten them before. We have recently beaten them in the T20 series in Australia and that gives us confidence.”
He further added, “We have been playing against them for years. We know their bowlers, their strengths and their plans. So, we will keep things simple, which is important, and support our strengths.”
How can India qualify for the semi-finals?
Ahead of the match, Australia remains the only undefeated team in the group, topping the points table with 8 points from 4 matches. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team is in second place with 6 points; South Africa is in third place with the same number of points.
With a net run rate of +2.268, Kaur and Co. are placed second ahead of the Proteas, who have a net run rate of +0.734. If South Africa beats Bangladesh in their match on Sunday, India will have no option but to beat Australia to gain 8 points.
If Bangladesh loses to South Africa, and Australia loses to India, all three top teams of Group A will have 8 points. Then, the two teams with better net run rates will advance to the semi-finals, and the remaining teams will fly to their homes.
Shafali Verma mentioned that before the title race, she was a bit nervous about her performance but as she has already scored a few half-centuries in the last three matches, she feels more confident and will stick to the basics during the match against Australia.
Shafali Verma said, “A lot of things have improved in my batting. Before the Pakistan match, I was thinking a lot. I was planning a lot about how I would play the first ball, what shot I would play on the second ball.”
