ShafaliVerma recalls the challenging journey before the big World Cup winning performance

The young Indian cricketer opened up about her journey over the past year, reflecting on the challenges she faced and how faith and perseverance helped her overcome them.

21-year-old Indian cricketer ShafaliVerma recently spoke about the difficult times before her winning performance in the World Cup 2025. She reflected on the challenges that she faced and how faith and perseverance helped her overcome them.

ShafaliVerma talks about the challenges she faced before giving a great World Cup performance.

India opener ShafaliVerma revealed how she battled setbacks before emerging as an important player in India’s World Cup victory. In the finals on November 2 against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, Shafali scored 87 and took 2/36, earning her the Player of the Final award in India’s 52-run victory. She told reporters after a felicitation programme in Rohtak, “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.” She received a late call-up to India’s World Cup squad just before the semi-final against defending champions Australia. Though she couldn’t make a big impact in that match, she rose to the occasion in the final, delivering a match-winning performance when it mattered most as India ended their ICC title drought.

ShafaliVerma says she was determined to contribute to the World Cup win.

She said, “When I joined the Indian team ahead of the semi-final, 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.” After getting a grand welcome upon her arrival in her hometown, Rohtak, she urged girls to have self-belief and work hard, saying results do come. She said, “They should always put in the hard work in whatever field they may choose and also have self-belief, and results will follow.”