'I hid the news from my father' - Star India opener Shafali Verma reveals her reaction after getting dropped from Indian team

India's star opener, Shafali Varma, opened up on the ODI series snub against Australia earlier in November. The player was dropped from the team due to below-par performance in the previous series. While speaking to the Indian Express, Verma revealed that her father had a heart attack at that time, and she didn't share the news with him instantly. However, her father's gesture after hearing the news was heartwarming. Instead of blaming her for her performance, he helped her during her practice sessions, rekindling her childhood memories. 

"It’s not easy to get over it. I didn’t want to reveal it because my father had a heart attack about two days before I got dropped from the team. I hid the news from him till he got better. He was in the hospital. I told him a week later. Father knows everything. Sometimes, as kids, we forget our strengths, but they don’t forget. He reminded me of the workouts and drills from my childhood and helped me to do the same," said Shafali Verma. 

Thanks to her father's guidance and her hard work, Verma's performance in the women's domestic tournament sent a message to the Indian selectors not to write her off. She amassed 527 runs at an average of 75.28 and a strike rate of 152.3 in the domestic tournament while representing Haryana. 

I can dominate international cricket: Shafali Verma

Shafali Verma also spoke about the inspiration she got while playing with the international players during the Women's Premier League (WPL) in two seasons. She was a part of the Delhi Capitals team who qualified for the finals in the first season of the tournament. Her fire-packed performance impressed the viewers a lot during the WPL.

"I have played for two seasons under the foreign players in Delhi Capitals. I’ve learnt that if I can toughen up mentally, I can dominate international cricket. This was something I didn’t realise in the five years I spent in international cricket," said Shafali Verma.