Shafali Verma is a once-in-a-generation player: Ex-skipper Mithali Raj

Collage of Mithali Raj and Shafali Verma. Pic courtesy/Twitter

Shafali Verma belongs to that rare breed of players who emerge once in a generation with an ability to singlehandedly win matches against any opposition, legendary former skipper Mithali Raj said on Monday. Mithali, who recently announced her retirement from international cricket, is amazed at the kind of "raw power" that the 1 -year-old generates in her shots.

"I have been a big fan of her game. I have seen that she's one player who has the ability to win the game single-handedly for India against any attack and any team. She is one of those players that you get to see probably once in a generation," Mithali told ICC's 100 percent 'Cricket Podcast'. Shafali made an instant impression on Raj on India's domestic circuit. "When I saw Shafali in a domestic match when she played against Indian Railways, she scored a fifty but I could see a glimpse of a player who could change the entire match just with her innings," said Mithali.

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"And when she played for Velocity in the first edition of the Challenger Trophy, she played for my team and I saw that she has the ability and the raw power that you rarely get to see at that age to clear the boundary and hit a six at will."

Having finished her illustrious 22-year-old international career with more than 10,000 international runs, Mithali remains open to playing in the inaugural edition of Women's IPL, set to start next year. "I'm keeping that option open. I've not yet decided," she said. "There are a few more months to go before the women's IPL happens. It would be lovely to be part of the first edition of the women's IPL."

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