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Indian opener Shafali Verma was not even part of the list of reserves for the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. But when an in-form Pratika Rawal was ruled out of tournament ahead of the semifinal, the selectors, team management and captain Harmanpreet Kaur called upon the youngster’s services. Shafali will have big shoes to fill as Rawal is currently the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament. Ahead of the semifinal against the mighty Australians, she had a long hit in the nets and bowled as well. The opener is motivated and says that she will look to stay calm in the pressure situation.
“Of course it's challenging if you come in directly in the semi-final. I think playing at home in a World Cup is a different motivation because of the huge crowd that's cheering you. When you see a packed stadium, your feet start to move automatically as a sportsperson. Motivation is, a 100%, there. The simpler I keep it, the better I will perform,” Verma said in a video shared by the BCCI on October 29.
“If god has sent me here, I'll try to play my best game with the best intent, if I play, and try to do what the team needs, do what I do the best, and keep it simple. I'll try and keep telling myself little things like ‘stay calm' and ‘believe in yourself.' These things will help, hopefully, and I'm doing well in practice, and hopefully things will get better for me,” she added.
Verma impressed against New Zealand
While Verma was not part of the list of reserves, she registered a 49-ball 70 for India A against Sophie Devine's New Zealand at Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru in the warm-up fixture. Her knock helped India A beat New Zealand by four wickets with three balls to spare.
Verma’s ODI numbers against Australia
Verna does not have the best of record against Australia. The 21-year-old will face a stiff challenge against the defending champions who have had an unbeaten run in the tournament. From five ODI innings against Australia, she has 99 runs at an average of 19.80 and strike rate of 68.27. She has a solitary half-century against the Aussies.
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