Days before India’s World Cup call-up, Shafali Verma’s father told her: ‘Your time will come… You have to be ready’ | Cricket news

Although her aggressive style was never in doubt, her consistency cost them this place. Sanjeev’s message to his daughter was simple.

“She came home on Diwali in between the two tournaments and we were talking about how she shouldn’t leave her aggressive playing style, which has been her strength since her early days. In between I also told her, shor ke 2-4 on nikal diy toh puri innings teri (If you stay for 2-4 overs, the full innings is yours). When the call for the World Cup came, I just told her that it was her hard work that paid off apart from ours. Praying,” Sanjeev told The Indian Express.

Although Shafali was not even included in the reserves, when Pratika Rawal was injured, the new selection committee’s eye towards the Haryana batsman was not surprising. After all, in the World Cup, India has lacked a strong start at the top – similar to the one Shafali produced in Sunday’s final at the DY Patel Stadium, where she top-scored with 78 balls and 87 at the top and shared 104 runs with Smriti Mandhana to create a solid foundation.

Coach Bajinder Sharma along with Ashwani Kumar at the Shri Ram Narain Cricket Academy in Rohtak, who have witnessed Shafali’s rise to international cricket from an early age, were watching her create history with the trainees at their academy on Sunday. “The day she came to train under us, she supported her batting instincts and as coaches, we never tried to suppress that. Ball se toh darti hi nahi thi Shafali (Shafali was never afraid of the cricket ball). Once we realized that and it took us a day or two, we started training her with the U-16 and U-19 boys and Ranji Trophy players as well in our academy. We would often give some special training to her defense as well. “In normal time on the gridiron, all her interests were in batting, she understood that batting was her strength,” recalls Sharma.

While Shafali started out as a wicket-keeper, she has transformed into a spinner who can be relied upon to bowl a handful of overs if the need arises. On Sunday, it was Shafali who Harmanpreet Kaur turned to and the 21-year-old responded by taking the key wickets of Son Los and Marizanne Kapp that rocked South Africa’s middle order. “Shafali also used to be a wicket-keeper and it helped her understand bowling tactics. When she started bowling in the nets, we made sure she understood the importance of hitting good length and also using different speeds. The first wicket she took today, she had the presence of mind to bowl the ball off the off stump and catch the ball on the surface. It’s redemption for Shafali and what a final after a half-century and a wicket,” Sharma said.

In the days when she was training in Rohtak, Sharma also asked Shafali to improve her game against spinners. Due to its ability to clear ropes, it was mostly used in top gear against spinners. It also made it easier for spinners to hook it at one end, and Sharma says it made it work for deliveries in the gap.

“Playing in the T20 format always helps her game and means she can benefit from the mindset in ODI cricket as well. So her preparations in recent months have been about how she can rely on her strengths like leadership. But at the same time, we also focused on showing restraint when bowlers bowl, as she practiced picking the gaps,” Sharma added.