| Sushma Verma Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 6 in |
| Weight | 62 kg |
| Date of Birth | November 3, 1992 |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Sushma Verma is an Indian professional cricketer who has represented her country primarily in the shorter formats of the sport (ODIs and T20Is), as a wicket-keeper and middle-order batter. She also played a solitary test match for India in the early days of her international career – against South Africa, in November 2014. Sushma was an integral member of the Indian team that reached the final of the 2017 edition of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Women’s Cricket World Cup. This was just the 2nd instance of the Indian team reaching the final of this tournament – the first was in 2005. In the Indian domestic circuit, Sushma has played for her home state of Himachal Pradesh (2011-Present) across all formats. In franchise-based T20 leagues, she has turned out for Velocity (2019-2020) in the Women’s T20 Challenge and the Gujarat Giants (2023) in the WPL (Women’s Premier League).
Born Name
Sushma Verma Devi
Nick Name
Sush, Sushiee
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Born Place
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
Residence
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
Nationality
Education
Sushma had attended Government Senior Secondary School – Portmore in her hometown of Shimla.
Occupation
Professional Cricketer
Family
- Father – Bhopal Singh Verma (Teacher (Retired))
- Mother – Gaura Devi
- Siblings – Bhakti Verma (Younger Brother), Ranjna Verma (Older Sister)
Manager
She has been represented by Rahul Trehan, Manager and Booking Agent, Infinity Optimal Solutions (IOS) Pvt. Ltd., Sports Talent Management Agency, New Delhi, India.
Batting
Right-Handed
Role
Wicket-Keeper, Middle-Order Batter
Jersey Number
5 – One Day International (ODI), T20 International (T20I), Himachal Pradesh (Indian Domestic Cricket), Velocity (Women’s T20 Challenge)
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 6 in or 167.5 cm
Weight
62 kg or 136.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Shoulder-length, straight hair
- Cheerful smile
- Radiant face
Sushma Verma Facts
- A multi-skilled athlete, Sushma used to play several sports during her school days – including volleyball, handball, cricket, and badminton. She even represented her home state of Himachal Pradesh in most of these sports but eventually chose cricket.
- She first came into the spotlight in 2011 when she captained her state team to the final of the national under-19 cricket championship.
- When Sushma made her WT20I (and international) debut for India in April 2013, she became the first cricketer from Himachal Pradesh, male or female, to represent India at the senior international level.
- In July 2015, she recorded 4 stumpings (stumping is a method of dismissing a batter that involves the wicket-keeper breaking the wickets (stumps) while the batter is out of his/her crease) in a WT20I match against New Zealand, equaling the record for the most stumpings in an inning in a WT20I match. As of February 2023, Sushma still jointly held this record – sharing it with 5 other players.
- At the 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, she played all 9 of India’s matches – 7 group-stage games, the semi-final, and the final – as the first-choice wicketkeeper. Her most important contribution in the tournament came in India’s 3rd group-stage match, against arch-rivals Pakistan. In that match, in tough batting conditions, she walked out to bat when the Indian team was struggling at 107/5 in the 35th over.
- She scored 33 runs in just 35 balls and dragged India’s score to 159 runs in the 48th over when she was dismissed. The Indian team ended up with just 169 runs but then the value of Sushma’s knock became apparent as the Indian bowlers used the favorable conditions to their advantage and skittled out Pakistan for only 74 runs.
- When the Indian team returned home after reaching the final of this tournament, the then chief minister of Himachal Pradesh offered her the rank of ‘DSP’ (Deputy Superintendent of Police), a rank used by several police forces in the Commonwealth. The rank is usually above assistant superintendent and below superintendent.
- In March 2018, in a WODI match against Australia, Sushma shared a 76-run partnership for the 8th wicket with Pooja Vastrakar. As of February 2023, this was still the highest partnership by an Indian pair (and the 4th highest overall) for the 8th wicket in a WODI match.
- In February 2023, in the auction for the upcoming inaugural edition of the WPL (Women’s Premier League), she was acquired for INR 60 lakhs by the Gujarat Giants.
Featured Image by Sushma Verma / Instagram
