India's semi-final hopes hinge entirely on a must-win Group A encounter against Australia.
Australia lead the Group A table with 8 points, while India and South Africa sit tied at 6 points each. A victory over the six-time champions all but guarantees India's progression due to their healthy Net Run Rate (NRR) over South Africa.
If India lose to Australia, Harmanpreet Kaur's squad will have to rely on Bangladesh pulling off a massive upset against South Africa earlier in the day to keep India's campaign alive.
Ahead of the high-stake fixture, opening batter Shafali Verma emphasized that keeping the game plan simple is the best way for India to secure a spot in the knockouts.
"Everyone knows Australia are a world-class team. But it's not like we haven't beaten them before. We recently beat them in a T20 series in Australia, and that gives us confidence," Shafali said on JioStar's 'Adidas Match Centre Live'.
She remained confident, citing India's 2-1 bilateral T20I series win over Australia right before the World Cup as a psychological boost.
"We have been playing against them for years now. We know their bowlers, their strengths, and their plans. So, we will keep things straightforward, which is important, and back our own strengths. The more you overthink, the harder it gets."
Shafali, who has hit two fifties in her last three innings, shared that she overcame a phase of overthinking early in the tournament by pivoting back to her natural, reactive game.
"A lot of things have improved in my batting. Before the Pakistan match, I was overthinking. I was planning too much, how I would play the first ball, what shot I would play off the second ball," she said.
"But after that game, I realised that I don't need to complicate things. I just need to keep it simple. When I bat, I watch the ball and react. I don't plan too far ahead. That has helped me score runs more freely.
"Because of that change, I think I am getting good scores now. I am not putting too much pressure on myself. I will try to continue this approach in the must-win game against Australia as well."
The explosive opener also opened up on shifting her mindset away from hunting boundaries on every ball, focusing instead on picking up singles to keep the scoreboard moving.
"If my shots are not coming off, I don't force them. I take singles and keep the scoreboard moving. I think batting is all about not complicating things. Keep it simple, take singles, rotate the strike, and play along the ground when needed.
"If the ball is in my hitting zone, I go for it. Otherwise, I respect the good deliveries and look for ones and twos. That is the approach I have learned over time. Don't try to hit every ball. Stay calm, watch the ball, and react. Whatever I have learned so far, this is what I have understood."
Apart from her batting, Shafali has also made a mark with her part-time off-spin. In fact, she operated with the new ball in recent matches and returned with figures of 1/22 against South Africa and claimed an impressive 3/20 against the Netherlands.
Shafali Verma attributed her success with the ball to skipper Harmanpreet Kaur clearly defining her role.
"Harman di has kept my role very clear. She told me that I will have to bowl in the powerplay. So, I work on that in the nets as well. I bowl with the new ball, focus on hitting the right areas, and try to keep the ball around the stumps.
"As an opener, I know that if you bowl outside the stumps, you give the batter room to score. So, I always try to bowl according to what I would expect as an opener, what line and length would trouble me. I bowl keeping that in mind; tight lines, stump-to-stump, and making the batter work for runs," she said.
Shafali also addressed India’s fielding lapses in the tournament, backing her teammates while insisting that mistakes were not due to a lack of preparation.
"Everyone is thinking of giving their 100 per cent. No one is dropping catches or misfielding on purpose. Sometimes it's just not your day, the ball doesn't stick, the timing is off, or the bounce surprises you.
"But we always back the player who is having a tough day, both on and off the field. Our preparation has been good. We had two days of practice before this match against Bangladesh. We did fielding drills together as a team, half an hour of focused catching and ground fielding.
"So, I will not say that we are not preparing well. We are doing everything we can. It's just about the day. Some days things click, some days they don't. That's part of the game," she concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)