- By Gurmeet Batra
- Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India's star batter Shafali Verma credited her determined measures to overcome the numerous challenges over the past year and tireless efforts to hone her skills for her success in the recently concluded marquee event, which resulted in the team's historic World Cup victory.
Picked as a replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal, Shafali was adjudged Player of the Match for her outstanding all-round performance, scoring 87 runs and claiming 2 wickets for 36 runs.
"The last one year was very tough for me. I faced a lot of struggles, but I kept working extremely hard and was rewarded by God for my effort," Shafali told reporters after a felicitation programme here.
Shafali was called in to the Indian squad on the eve of the semifinal against rugged Australia and while she could not blast in the last four clash, the 21-year-old shone in the title clash.
"When I joined the Indian team ahead of the semifinal, I was determined to contribute to the World Cup victory. 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," Shafali said.
After receiving a grand welcome upon her arrival in her hometown, Rohtak, the swashbuckling opener urged girls to have self-belief and work hard, saying results will come.
"They should always put in the hard work in whatever field they may choose and also have self-belief, and results will follow," Shafali said.
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Replying to a question about the final, she said, "I was trying to stay calm and execute my plans and things went as per plan. The only thought was that we have to give it all in those seven hours for our country."
(With PTI Inputs)