
CHENNAI: Shafali Verma is very much aware of where she stands at the moment. The India opener last turned up in the Blues during the ODI series against New Zealand after the early exit in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. Verma had scores of 33, 11 and 12 in the home ODIs versus White Ferns after finishing the global event with a disappointing 97 runs at 24.25. She was neither a part of the team that toured Australia nor the home series against West Indies and Ireland.
In these trying times, the 20-year-old has gone back to the domestic circuit. From the senior women one-dayers — where she finished as leading run-scorer with 527 runs at 152.31 SR — to the ongoing senior women challengers in Chennai, Verma has been accumulating runs for fun.
It was no different on Monday as Team A, which had already qualified for the final, took on Team D at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
During the chase of 212, Verma smashed 115 off 70 balls — a knock that had 14 fours and six 6s — and by the time she got out the victory was all but sealed. It was her third century in the format since getting dropped and she has also scored five fifties. Apart from the lone LBW shout early on against Saika Ishaque, there was not a moment where she looked like she was getting out. So much that it felt like she was too good for this level.
Ask her if making a comeback to the Indian team has been an extra motivation, Verma answers it in a matter of fact manner.
“I think this is my job to do well for the team. I know I am dropped from the (Indian) team but it is my job to play well for the team (whichever I play for). And now, my focus is on challengers and I want to do well in the final and we win the trophy,” she told the select media at the venue after the match on Monday.
The 20-year-old said that the message from the team management has been about believing in herself and backing your strengths. While there is no doubt about her batting ability, one of the concerns raised was about her fielding. Although she didn’t do much wrong in that department on Sunday, one has to wait and see how things are going forward.
For Verma, the focus has been on spending time in the middle and playing the long innings. She admits that not much has changed in terms of her batting technique but is trying to build the innings and convert starts. She is aware of the fact that the longer she stays, the higher the possibility of her team winning.
“I am trying to focus on building my innings. As you all know, my starts are good but building an innings remains an issue. But now, I am focusing on how to get those singles, how to build the innings and how to do well for the team. That is what I am trying to do,” she said. “And yeah, if I play long innings, as you can see, the team is winning,” Verma added.
On Wednesday, she will be getting on the field at Chepauk, taking on Team C in the final. She enjoys being the captain and wants to get her hands on the trophy. Meanwhile, she is not taking every match lightly and wants to start from scratch every time she walks out to bat. “Every innings starts from zero. For the final also the innings will begin in zero and as I know, the team needs me a lot in the batting (department). So that is what I am trying, to try and build the innings well and we win the trophy,” she signed off.