Shafali Verma
Shafali Verma Credits: Twitter

Young Indian batting sensation Shafali Verma injured herself during the opening game against Malaysia in the team’s first game of the Asian Games 2023. The 19-year-old who had a scary appearance, left right away from the field after getting hurt during the match.

During the 13th over of the game, an on-drive from Jemimah Rodrigues struck Shafali Verma on her right wrist. The opener was struck by the ball after being unable to dodge it in time and falling to the ground.

She was immediately bandaged by the physio who had hurried to the scene. Shafali Verma went out in the same over after failing to block an inswinger, despite being able to lift the bat with one hand.

India finished their batting with 173 runs in 15 overs while losing two wickets. Richa Ghosh, who entered the game as the 14th batter, hit some incredible shots that helped India surpass the 160 runs mark. Richa scored 21* from just 7 balls, and Jemimah held onto her 47-run lead and the match was interrupted by the rain in the 2nd innings, as there was no result in the game.

India Women's Cricket Team
India Women’s Cricket Team Credits: Twitter

Shafali Verma is one of the key players for India in the Asian Games 2023 and the Indian openers always try to keep the score with his aggressive brand of cricket at the top of the order. The 19-year-old can take the game away from the opponents in a quick period and her recovery from the injury scare would be crucial for the team’s chances in the Continental tournament.

Smriti Mandhana has been captaining the Indian women’s team which is at their full strength for games in China. Regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur had copped a two-match ban for her outburst against Bangladesh in the last ODI series.

Both Indian Men and Women’s teams will look to win the elusive Gold Medal going up against the big Asian teams in the event, as they have well-settled units to do well in the Asian Games.