When the opener was not considered for India's ODI team for the tour to Australia last year, Sanjeev Verma remembers speaking with her daughter Shafali Verma. “I had told her, Koi dikkat nahi, aap practice karo and aapka time aayega. Bus taiyar rehna (No problem. You focus on your practice and your time will come. The only thing is that you should be ready). And when she missed making it to the Indian team for the World Cup, I repeated the same words to her.)”
On Sunday, as India created history by winning their first-ever Women's World Cup with a victory over South Africa in the final, it was Shafali Verma who stole the spotlight, becoming the youngest ever — at just 21 — to be named Player of the Match in a World Cup final.
Only a few days had passed since her father's heart attack when Shafali was dropped from the Indian squad last year. She had kept the news a secret from her father, who tried everything in his power to turn her into a fearsome batter, as she previously told Indian Express.
After being dropped, Shafali stayed at her Rohtak home for a few days before going to play in the BCCI One-Day Trophy, where she scored 527 runs at an average of 75.28 and a strike-rate of 152.31. In the quarterfinal round versus Bengal, the eventual champions, it contained a knock of 197. She went on to score 414 runs at an average of 82.80 in the Women's Challenger Trophy and 306 in the Women's Premier League this year.
Her inconsistency had cost her the spot, even though her aggressive style was never in doubt. Sanjeev sent his daughter a straightforward message.
“She had come home on Diwali between the tournaments and we would talk about how she should not leave her aggressive style of play, which is her strength since her junior days. And in between I also told her, shuru ke 2-4 over nikal diye toh puri innings teri (If you stay for 2-4 overs, full innings is yours). And when the call for the World Cup came, I only told her that it was her hard work that has paid off apart from our prayer,” Sanjeev told the national daily.
Also Read | Jemimah Rodrigues’ 'golden' selfie captures the heartbeat of India’s World Cup victory
It wasn't surprising that the new selection panel turned to Shafali after Pratika Rawal got injured, even though the Haryana batter wasn't even in the reserves. After all, India was lacking a potent start at the top of the World Cup. In the final on Sunday at the DY Patil Stadium, Shafali top-scored with a 78-ball 87 at the top and had a 104-run stand with Smriti Mandhana to establish a strong foundation.
Coach Bajinder Sharma and Ashwani Kumar of the Shri Ram Narain Cricket Academy in Rohtak — who have guided Shafali Verma since her early days — watched with their young trainees at the academy with pride on Sunday as she made history.
“The day she came to train under us, she backed her instincts to hit big And as coaches, we have never tried to suppress that. Ball se toh darti hi nahi thi Shafali (Shafali was never scared of the cricket ball).And once we realised that and it took us a day or two, we started making her train with U-16, U-19 boys and Ranji Trophy players too at our academy. We would often give some special training for her defence as in the regular net time, she was all about hitting. She understood that hitting is her strength,” recalls Sharma.
Also Read | The Amol Muzumdar story — From India heartbreak to Women's World Cup triumph
Although Shafali began her career as a wicketkeeper, she has developed into a reliable spinner who can bowl a few overs if necessary. Harmanpreet Kaur turned to Shafali on Sunday, and the 21-year-old responded by jolting South Africa's middle order with the crucial wickets of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp.
“Shafali also used to be a wicket-keeper and it helped her understand the tactics of spin bowlers. When she started bowling in the nets, we made sure that she understood the importance of hitting the good length and also using varying speeds. The first wicket she took today, she had the presence of mind to bowl a bit wide of off-stump and the ball held onto the surface. It’s a redemption for Shafali and what a final to have with a half century and two wickets,” said Sharma.
During her training days in Rohtak, Sharma focused on helping Shafali improve her game against spin. Known for her power-hitting, she often relied too heavily on clearing the ropes, which allowed spinners to tie her down. Sharma recalls working with her to find gaps and rotate the strike more effectively.
“Playing in T20 format always helps her game and it means that she can utilise the mindset in ODI cricket too. So her preparations in recent months were about how to rely on her strengths like the drive. But at the same time, we also focused on showing restraint when the spinners bowled, where she practiced to pick the gaps,” Sharma added.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
