Indian women’s opener Shafali Verma has stated that she is 100% motivated to do well and will give her best as god has sent her in the team for a purpose. Her words came ahead of the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
India will clash with Australia in the second semi-final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on October 30th.
Shafali Verma was added to the Indian squad after opener Pratika Rawal suffered a hairline fracture to her right ankle while fielding in India’s last league game against Bangladesh at the DY Patil Stadium on October 26.
21-year-old Verma was originally not chosen for the event, but Rawal's injury forced her participation ahead of the key semi-final versus Australia.
Verma acknowledged the difficulty of joining the team directly for a knockout game after the majority of the competition had ended. She stated her willingness to take on the assignment, simplify her approach, and execute to the best of her skills.
“Of course, it’s challenging if you come in directly in the semi-final. I think playing at home in a World Cup is a different motivation because of the huge crowd that’s cheering you. When you see a packed stadium, your feet start to move automatically as a sportsperson. Motivation is, 100%, there. The simpler I keep it, the better I will perform,” Verma said in a video posted by BCCI.
“If God has sent me here, I’ll try to play my best game with the best intent, if I play, and try to do what the team needs, do what I do best, and keep it simple. I’ll try and keep telling myself little things like ‘stay calm’ and ‘believe in yourself.’ These things will help, hopefully, and I’m doing well in practice, and hopefully things will get better for me," Verma added.
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