Shefali will become one of the best six-hitters in the world, says Nasser Hussain

Shefali Verma (Pic: AFP)

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain believes that Indian star batter, Shefali Verma, will become one of the all-time great six-hitters in women's cricket. Verma is currently in the Indian Women's T20 squad for the World Cup.

Speaking about Shefali, Hussain compared her to Indian teen prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The former England captain noted that her maturity and knack for adapting to high-pressure situations at such a young age set her apart from her colleagues.

"Shafali Varma burst onto the scene as a fearless teenager, much like Vaibhav Suryavanshi in men's cricket. She was known for her raw power and big six-hitting ability. But in the 50-over World Cup final against South Africa, we saw a different side of her. From the semi-final onwards, and especially in the final, she played a controlled innings. She picked her moments, took fewer risks, and didn't try to hit every ball out of the ground. It was a mature, measured knock. That showed her growth as a batter. She proved she could adapt to the situation and play according to the needs of the team." Hussain said on JioStar.

Shafali's ability to score quick runs during the powerplay has made her partnership with Smriti Mandhana one of the most feared opening pairs in world cricket. Hussain believes that Verma will eventually become one of the biggest six-hitters in women's cricket.

Shefali Verma has currently hit 78 sixes during her 107 matches in T20 internationals.

"I believe Shafali will eventually become one of the biggest six-hitters in women's cricket. But what makes her special is that she is learning when to attack and when to hold back. That balance will take her a long way," Nasser Hussain added.

India started their World Cup journey with a win against Pakistan

Team India got off to a perfect start in their search for a maiden T20 World Cup title with a convincing win against arch-rivals Pakistan. The 'Women In Blue' defeated Pakistan by 64 runs to start their World Cup campaign on a positive note.

Despite Shefali Verma's failure with the bat, India managed to score a commanding 170 runs for the loss of six wickets, largely thanks to Smriti Mandhana's knock of 68 runs in 44 balls.

With the ball, Deepti Sharma was India's star as she dismantled the Pakistan batting line-up with her best figures of five wickets for 10 runs in her four overs.