One minute read. Written by a grade 6 student.

She’s only 16 years old and she’s making news around the world!

Do you know who Shafali Verma is? She is a cricketer in the Indian Women’s Cricket team. She admires Sachin Tendulkar, but you know what – she has broken his record of becoming the youngest Indian to score 50 at an international cricket match!

Right now she’s playing as an opener in the Women’s Twenty20 International that taking place in Australia between 21 February and 8 March 2020

The final will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on International Women’s Day. Shafali Varma has led India to victory in many matches already. On Thursday, she won her second ‘Player of the Match’ award.

When India played against Sri Lanka, Shafali Verma knocked an amazing 47 runs in 34 balls and India won by seven wickets. Against New Zealand Shafali was unbeatable again! She made 46 and led India to victory – into the semi-finals!

Shafali Verma has made history last year when she became the youngest woman cricketer to play for India.  Verma had always wanted to play cricket and started playing at age 10. She used to play with her father and brother to practice. She was taken in the Indian team after Mithali Raj retired from T20 cricket.

She says that her inspiration was Sachin Tendulkar and when she saw him play in Rohtak, she said that she was dumbstruck. She says that – “I asked dad if it could happen to me and he said ‘If you work hard, nothing is impossible. I took it to heart and have since been working hard,”

Isn’t that a lesson for us all – to work hard.

Watch this video on her by Quint: