Since her international debut as a 15-year-old in 2019, Shafali Verma’s rise in the Indian team has been a sight to behold. Through her brute force and fearless big-hitting, a totally different style of play as compared to other India women batters, the opener from Rohtak has always delighted fans with her belligerent knocks.

Now, five years on, on the cusp of playing her third T20 World Cup, Shafali tells what’s changed for her ever since she took the 2020 edition of the tournament by storm through her sizzling strokeplay. “In 2020, I used to hit every ball and it clicked at the start. But then, after some time, there is video analysis on your game and they start to see your whole game plan.