Coronavirus outbreak: Shafali Verma can't train in gym due to lockdown

From becoming Indias youngest T20I debutant at 15 to being the worlds youngest to play in a World Cup final v Australia at 16 and also holding the World No 1 ranking for a brief period during the T20 World Cup Shafali Vermas career trajectory has only gone from strength to strengthThe Rohtak lass made heads turn with her brutal shots during the recentlyconcluded T20 World Cup where she scored 163 runs in five matches to end up as the fifthhighest rungetter in the tournamentThe Coronavirus pandemic has forced her to stay indoors but she is not lying low I go for an early morning run and I am doing a bit of fitness related to my leg injury at home I used to bat for a bit in the nets when there was no one at the Shri Ram Narayan Cricket Academy But after the lockdown I have started practising at home My gym routine has taken a hit because of the lockdown Shafali told midday from her residence in HaryanaThe forced break has also given Shafali some extra time to prepare for her Class X Board exams which were postponed due to the pandemicShafali was the toast of the nation in Indias World Cup campaign Her ability to strike the ball hard made everyone sit up and take notice The tournament has made her a household name in the country I knew the time had come to show the hard work that I put in for the last seven to eight years ever since I started playing cricket To perform in a World Cup is always a dream My father Sanjeev always said that if I performed in a World Cup the entire world would know me I am glad to perform for my team I am disappointed that we could not win the title I learnt a lot from the tournament I understood the highs and lows in just one tournament This was my biggest learning she said reflecting on her performanceWith the experienced batters having a poor run in the T20 World Cup inform Shafali became the key of the Indian battingThe freedom provided to play her natural game by coach WV Raman and support from her skipper Harmanpreet Kaur proved to be defining factors in Shafalis successI dont take any pressure It is not that I have been scoring big runs every time I have also got out on low scores many times I believe in God Whatever the almighty has decided for me it will happen no matter what I just work hard and give my 100 per cent every time I enter the field It has never been my mindset to slow down my innings if I come close to the halfcentury or hundred I try to maintain the same momentum because my team come first she saidThe only time Shafali failed to click was in the final while chasing Australias 1844 She was caught behind for two as India folded up for 99 in front of a packed Melbourne Cricket GroundI played the wrong shot I wanted to take the attack on the opposition from Ball One because that was the only way we could have won While I was crying everyone told me that this is just the start of my journey They reminded me it is not the end of the world It was just one bad game she recalledIt requires a special talent to take the worlds best bowlers to the cleaners on a consistent basis at just 16 Shafali provided an insight on her mental makeup I just had around 10 days to prepare for the World Cup I would like to thank Haryana Cricket Association officials Anirudh Chaudhry sir My coaches Ashwani and Aman sir I have been facing U19 U23 and Ranji Trophy bowlers in the nets for last few years That helped me a lot My aim is to attack the main bowlers because if I am successful in doing that I can dominate all bowlers she saidShafalis aggressive starts reminded many of explosive Indian opener Virender Sehwag However Shafalis idol has always been Sachin Tendulkar I have his initials ST written on my gearmdashmy bat gloves caps pads I am just crazy about him said Shafali who met the legend in Australia where he was for a recent charity matchHer World Cup success got her an endorsement deal with a top beverage company By now Shafali would have ended up attending many felicitation functions on her arrival from Down Under but the Coronavirus outbreak has spared her from extra attentionCoach Raman told midday in a recent interview that Shafali should be allowed to focus on her cricket and the batting superstar is confident of handling the pressure of expectations I dont think too much I have come up the hard way Whatever I have achieved is because of the almighty she signed offCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates