India U-19 skipper Shafali Verma has reportedly asked her teammates to win the ICC U-19 T20 World Cup as a “birthday gift” to her.
Want the trophy as birthday gift: Shafali Verma’s message to her teammates
“When I joined up with this U-19 team, I told them the only birthday gift I want is the trophy. I’m not asking for much. No real preparation. Just going to enjoy the day. It would have been different if I was at home,” the just-turned-19-year-old said as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
“Yes, it’s a very good feeling to be in the final. Just want everyone to give their 100 percent. I had spoken after the match against Sri Lanka about us having trouble sleeping (after losing to Australia) but we’ve been able to execute everything we discussed after that game. There’s a good mood in the camp. From what I’ve seen, they have a good bunch of all-rounders.
We have to continue backing our strengths, we don’t need to try anything different. They’ve made it to the final, so obviously, they have been doing the right things. We need to keep backing our strengths, enjoy each other’s performances. Keep backing each other on the field,” she added.
“The credit goes to Nooshin maám (sic). You want a coach to let the players know what their roles are and she’s defined the roles clearly to everyone. You know a day in advance if you’re playing. So, you have time to prepare. We enjoy each other’s company a lot. I’d say I’ve played a small role in creating the environment. Shouldn’t praise oneself too much for it,” she mentioned.
