Sushma Verma offered the post of DSP by Himachal Pradesh government

What’s the story?

Lauding her achievement in the recently concluded Women’s World Cup, wicketkeeper-batswoman Sushma Verma has been offered the post of DSP by the Himachal Pradesh government.

The Indian eves had a very impressive outing at the World Championships, finishing as the runners-up after narrowly losing out to hosts England by 9 runs in a scintillating finale.

In a statement released by the local media on Tuesday, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh said, “Being proud of her achievement in the international cricket arena, the state government has offered the post of deputy superintendent to Sushma Verma.”

In case you did not know

Prior to her debut in the national team, Verma played for Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. The Shimla-born cricketer has earlier also captained the Himachal side in the U-19 India women’s tournament in 2011 to the runners-up spot.

The 25-year-old wicketkeeper is also the first ever player from the state to don the Indian national team jersey. However, as a result of fewer opportunities, she began playing for the Railways team, where she counted among her teammates, the likes of Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Punam Raut.

The heart of the matter

Verma has been clinical in the middle for India with the willow, stepping up to the cause when needed. Her most notable performance was the match-winning knock she played against Pakistan during the group stages of the World Cup.

The 24-year-old scored a 35-ball 33 and raised a crucial 34-run partnership with Jhulan Goswami to help India recover from 111/6 to 169/9. India went on to beat Pakistan by 95 runs, to register their third win on the trot.

Sushma’s teammate and India’s second highest run scorer in the World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur has also been offered a job in the Punjab Police on Monday.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh offered Kaur the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police, and took to Twitter to post a congratulatory message to the sporting star.

Proud of @ImHarmanpreet, they gave an excellent fight to England in the World Cup final, would be happy to appoint her DSP if she desires.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 23, 2017

What’s next?

Following the success of the Women's World Cup, there are ongoing talks of hosting a Women’s IPL, similar to the Women’s Big Bash League.

Author’s take

The job offer by the state government is a wonderful gesture to appreciate Sushma Verma’s accomplishments as a cricketer. Hopefully, this campaign will act as a catalyst and inspire the younger generation of female cricketers.

However, it is also perhaps disappointing to see praise pouring in only after a great performance makes them a headline, instead of identifying talents in their raw state.