Very few people know that Shweta became a cricketer after seeing her elder sister. Not only this, he played cricket in the boys’ team for a long time. Seven months ago, Shweta missed the India U-19 team bus due to her Class XII board exams, reports the Indian Express. In her debut match at the Women’s T20 World Cup, she hit a blistering 57-ball 92 in India’s seven-wicket win over hosts South Africa on Saturday.
In May last year, Shweta Sehrawat wrote a letter to National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman, stating that she would not be able to make it to the women’s U-19 camp to be held from May 15 to June 9 because of her twelfth grade. . But Laxman, who had heard about Shweta’s batting, replied, ‘At least attend the camp for a few days.’ Shweta joined the camp on June 3 and played a few matches. She scored a century in the last game and was selected for the NCA zonal team, where she scored two more centuries in six matches.
Shweta’s father Sanjay says about this – We had given up hope. It was VVS (Laxman) sir who persuaded us to send the daughter away for two or three days. He just wanted to see his batting. Chasing a tough target of 167 on Sunday, Shweta played a key role in finishing the match with 21 balls to spare. Shweta and Shafali Verma (45 off 16 balls; 9 fours, one six) spoiled the hosts’ condition with a destructive innings. Both added 77 runs in seven overs.
Deepti Dhyani, the vice-captain Shweta’s coach for the past five years at the Karnail Singh Stadium, lauded her fearless attitude against South Africa. He said – he is a finisher. He is a fearless and aggressive batsman. While Shefali was batting with gusto, Shweta was just rotating the strike, which was a smart move. As soon as Shafali got out, Shweta became aggressive.
Regarding the cricket journey, Shweta’s father Sanjay says- I used to take my elder daughter (Swati) to Sonnet Cricket Club and Shweta used to go with me. She insisted on playing with her sister, but I never paid much attention to it as she was very young. A few months later, we shifted Swati to a cricket academy in Vasant Kunj. It was a boys’ academy and the coach asked one of them to bowl a tennis ball to Shweta. I still remember his first shot. I was amazed to see a 7-year-old girl playing fearlessly against U-14 boys. The next day I got him all the kits and his cricketing journey began.
Talking about his daughter’s aggressive style of batting, Sanjay attributes it to her playing with boys for almost four years. He told – there were only two girls in that academy. For about four years she played with the boys, and it overcame her fear. In the Under-19 T20 Challenger Trophy held in November last year, he scored 163 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 111.64. Prior to the U-19 World Cup, Shweta was named captain of India during the five-match series against New Zealand. Prior to the tournament, the BCCI named two senior Indian players Shafali Verma and wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh in the squad. Shweta was chosen as Shefali’s deputy.
Shafali Verma U19 World Cup: Shafali Verma studded boundaries on every ball of the over, showed stars to the bowler during the day!
U-19 Women WC: Shweta and Shefali storm South African team, India’s champion start in World Cup
Source: navbharattimes.indiatimes.com
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