India’s belligerent and profile opening batter Shafali Verma has opened up about her inspiring journey to the maiden senior World Cup glory, saying that her late call-up to the squad gave her extra motivation to give her best for the country.
“When I joined the team ahead of the semi-final, I was determined to contribute to the World Cup win,” Shafali said while speaking to reporters during a felicitation event in her hometown, Rohtak.
The 21-year-old batter, who replaced the injured and in-form Pratika Rawal just before the semi-final against the mighty Australia, turned out to be one of India’s key performers in the knockout matches. Her powerful batting and crucial wickets in the final against South Africa helped India lift their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup trophy.
Looking back at the high-pressure final, Shafali admitted that she had her share of nerves before finding her rhythm.
“The final is always a big stage. Initially, I was a bit nervous, but I calmed myself, focused on my strategy, and executed it well. That helped me deliver an all-round performance,” she added.
Her all-round brilliance, scoring 87 runs and taking two wickets, earned her the Player of the Match award in the title clash. The Rohtak-born star played a vital role in India’s 52-run victory over South Africa, ensuring the nation’s long wait for a world title finally ended.
For Shafali, the performance was even more special considering the challenges she faced earlier in the year. Having been dropped from India’s ODI squad before the tournament, she went back to domestic cricket, worked hard on her game, and forced her way back into the national side.
“The last year was tough for me. I faced many struggles, but I kept working hard and was rewarded by God for my effort,” she shared, reflecting on her emotional comeback.
The World Cup win was a dream run for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, who bounced back from three consecutive losses in the group stage to script a fairytale ending. In the final, Shafali’s century stand with Smriti Mandhana set the tone for India’s big total of 298/7. Later, her quick double strike, removing Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp derailed South Africa’s batting line-up.
Sharing her mindset during the final, she said, “I tried to stay calm and execute my plans, and things went as expected. The only thought was that we had to give our all in those seven hours for our country.”
With this historic win, India became the fresh entrant in the list of World champions as after 2000 when New Zealand’s Emily Drumm lifted the cup, the tricolour nation was crowned with the supreme glory.
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