Shafali Verma Exclusive: ‘I cried for two nights before final’ — star batter on shock call-up, self-belief and a World Cup rebirth

Can a phone call change your life? It can — especially if it is an invitation to join a home World Cup squad, that too on the eve of the semi-finals. Shafali Verma, the 21-year-old hard-hitting sensation of the Indian women’s team, became the toast of the nation on 2 November when the Women in Blue lifted their first-ever cricket World Cup after defeating South Africa in Navi Mumbai.

It feels unimaginable that she hadn’t even been part of the original squad. Shafali’s form before her last ODI in 2024 had been patchy and inconsistent, but the manner in which she was picked and dropped from the ODI setup has never been examined closely enough. Still, life always finds a way to hand out second chances. For someone as young as the Rohtak batter, redemption felt inevitable — but the way it unfolded was nothing short of a Bollywood-style twist.

A nasty ankle injury to opener Pratika Rawal during a dead-rubber group match against Bangladesh forced the team management into a late change: not just adding Shafali to the squad, but thrusting her straight into the playing XI. The rest, as they say, is history. She is now a World Cup winner, having smashed a match-winning 87 in the final and taken two crucial wickets that swung the game.

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We caught up with the batting star as she reflected on her mindset — carrying not anxiety but lessons from training into the team environment — her disappointment after the semi-final, two sleepless nights, the clutch performance in the final, and what she believes the future now holds.

Excerpts…

You had not played ODIs since 2024. Do you remember getting the call-up just before the semi-final? Were there nerves? Were you happy? 

Shafali: It was the happiest moment when I got the call-up. I was happy and very confident as I was playing domestic cricket at that time. In that last one year that I was not with the ODI team, I had worked very hard on my game. I was pretty confident that when I got a chance in ODI, I would give my best. So, when I got the chance, I only had one thing in my mind – to apply everything I had practiced and learnt.

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I know I did not do very well in the semi-final. Only I know how I spent the next two nights after that. I could not sleep; I was crying all the time. I mean you are not with the team for the last one year and then you get a chance and you get out early. But what gave me confidence was that whatever runs I scored, the ball came nicely onto the bat. So, I was trying to make myself understand that I am in good touch and I can do it.

In the final, I told myself, the last two nights I cried, thought in depth about what I can do, now is the time to execute the plans. I kept things simple, forgot the last match and started afresh. And I guess I accepted everything, because you only move forward when you accept reality. It was difficult, but in the final, I was able to execute my plans. Due to rain, the wicket was a bit sticky, so my plan was to play a few ground shots and by God’s grace, it was happening properly. I am so happy that I got the chance to be a part of the team and on such a big stage, I was able to perform. I am very grateful.

02-11-2025
God’s plan pic.twitter.com/CtWI2V5h9g

— Shafali Verma (@TheShafaliVerma) November 3, 2025

Interestingly, you spoke about accepting the reality and then improving. Is that something that you have learnt from your time away from the ODI setup?

Shafali: When I started playing cricket, I had heard that the sport teaches you a lot. And now, after so many years with the game, I feel that they were right that cricket teaches you a lot. I think you need to stay open to learning. You have to be open-minded, you have to keep learning. And with the same mentality, I made many changes in myself in the last one year.

It’s not that because we have won the World Cup, we are satisfied; we have to make it a habit. We need to work harder. The T20 World Cup is coming. It’s very crucial for us. We are talking before the World Cup final that we have lost many times, but we want to taste what a win feels like. Now that we have won, we need to continue this. This is what we will keep in our minds.

Let’s go back to your match-winning performance in the World Cup final. A player doesn’t perform every day, so to get that 87 in the final and to win the first World Cup. Did it sink in soon? Do you still think about the victory?

Shafali: Now I can feel that I played such an awesome innings. Now that you asked the question, in just one moment, I went back to those memories. That moment is very close to our hearts. That day I was in good touch and I was only thinking how far I could stretch my innings. I was bowling in the domestic also. I got bowling in the match and I got wickets.

Now that you have once again stamped your authority, there’s going to be a battle with Pratika Rawal for the opening slot in the ODI team. What do you think would help you stay in the team in the long term?

Shafali: Even when I was dropped from the team, I never went looking for who replaced me. Because your competition is against yourself. If you can reach your best level, no one can come closer to you. My fight is against myself. If I improve myself as a batter, I won’t have to worry about competition. My focus is on my own game. Absolutely, Pratika has done very well. But as a player, my focus is firmly fixed on my game, on improving every day. As a sportsperson, if your focus is on yourself, you keep getting better and better.

As an insider from the team, can you share what the significance of this victory is for captain Harmanpreet Kaur?

Shafali: Harman di has supported us for so long. We were happy that finally we together won her a trophy. The World Cup we won is not just because of us, but also the former cricketers who kept the game alive when there wasn’t any money or fame in the sport. They played for passion, so they deserve all the credit for keeping women’s cricket alive. That’s why we celebrated with them after the victory, because due to them, today we are what we are, we are living the golden period now.

Now that the World Cup is over, how far do you think you can go? What’s your personal goal?

Shafali: Personally, my goal is I need to earn as many records as I can and make India win as many trophies as I can. As a team, our goal should be to keep improving and win as much as possible.

A GRAND WELCOME FOR SHAFALI VERMA AT HER HOME TOWN IN ROHTAK. 🇮🇳🌟 (IANS).

- The Hero for India in the Final..!!!

pic.twitter.com/j8eRoccrcw

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) November 9, 2025

You are supported by JSW Sport. How did they help you?

Shafali: They are really supportive of me. People help you in good times, but in bad times, they were the first ones to reach me, saying that whenever you want us, we are there. And that’s what a sportsperson wants, that you need help in ups and downs. They are very helpful.