Teenage sensation Shafali Verma aims for World Cup glory

16-year-old Shafali Verma has turned out to be an overnight star in Indian women's cricket over the past year. Her earliest memories of playing cricket were turning up disguised as her own brother Sahil and playing a game, which motivated her to represent India one day.

Most recently, she has formed a formidable opening combination alongside Smriti Mandhana and is one of India's 'X factors' going into the mega event.

"After cutting my hair I went to play with the boys and they did not even realize that I am a girl. But they got it after a few days and felt happy," Shafali told AFP.

"That motivated me and I became serious for cricket and began to work hard to emulate my idol," she further added.

Verma also was quick to credit her father, who made her practice hard and handed her the best possible facilities despite their modest background. Her talent was recognized and she was picked to play for the Velocity team in the Women's T20 Challenge.

She shared the dressing room with veterans like Mithali Raj and England's World Cup winner Danielle Wyatt, who also labelled her the 'next superstar' of Indian cricket.

Making her T20 debut in September last year, Verma broke the 30-year-long record held by Sachin Tendulkar by becoming the youngest player to score an international half-century, in only her fifth T20, against the West Indies.

Shafali's father Sanjeev, who is proud of his daughter's efforts thus far claimed that he has full confidence that his daughter will win India the T20 World Cup, with the global event set to begin next month.

"(Shafali) will take women's cricket to greater heights and get India the women's World Cup -- T20 and ODI," Sanjeev asserted.