Indian opener Shafali Verma credited her recent success to acknowledging and addressing her batting flaws, marking her transformation into a more confident and compact player.
Verma was named Player of the Match for her unbeaten knock of 69 runs off 34 deliveries, guiding India to a seven-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the second T20I match. Reflecting on her previous inconsistency and technical issues that led to her exclusion from the squad ahead of the World Cup final, Shafali noted, “Cricket always teaches you things. It’s important to accept your weaknesses. That’s the only way you can improve. The ball was holding a bit at the start, so I tried to play along the ground and take singles. They bowled well at the start. It was a good knockout.”
She also expressed gratitude to head coach Amol Muzumdar for his guidance, particularly in conditions where the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat freely. “The coach told me to play along the ground initially and then go for aerial shots. I kept myself calm, tried to play along the ground, and the ball was coming on nicely. I know I can score runs if I play the ball on the ground,” she added.
Shafali made a notable return to the India squad for the ODI World Cup semifinals and final after Pratika Rawal’s injury, where she scored a match-winning half-century and took two wickets in the final against South Africa.
In the game against Sri Lanka, India opted to bowl first and faced early challenges from skipper Chamari Athapaththu, who attacked fiercely during the PowerPlay. However, Sneh Rana’s introduction proved pivotal. Filling in for an unwell Deepti Sharma, Rana bowled with precision, conceding only 11 runs in her four overs and dismissing Athapaththu, which shifted the game in India’s favor.
With Athapaththu’s departure, Sri Lanka’s innings struggled. Harshitha Samarawickrama showed promise but lacked support as Indian spinners tightened their grip. Vaishnavi Sharma managed a few runs but took crucial wickets, while Sree Charani bounced back from a tough series opener to claim two dismissals. Three run-outs further hampered Sri Lanka, restricting their total to a score that posed little threat to India’s robust batting lineup.
India’s chase got off to a rocky start with Smriti Mandhana dismissed for 16, but Shafali quickly took control, punishing any loose or short deliveries and attacking both spin and pace. She targeted Inoka Ranaweera and Shashini Gimhani, while Athapaththu faced the brunt of her onslaught, conceding a 4, 6, and 4 in the final over of the PowerPlay. Jemimah Rodrigues provided solid support, scoring quickly against the spinners as India achieved victory in the 12th over.