Shafali Verma Ready to Step Up in World Cup Semi-Final After Late Call-Up

A few days ago, Shafali Verma was representing Haryana in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy in Surat. Now, the 21-year-old finds herself preparing to open for India in a World Cup semi-final against Australia after earning a late call-up to replace the injured Pratika Rawal.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Shafali was her typically confident self, insisting she feels “super ready” to perform in any role the team requires.

“Playing a semi-final is not new to me,” Shafali said. “I’ve been in such situations before. It’s just about keeping my mind clear and believing in myself. I’m confident I’ll do well — 200%.”

While she admitted Rawal’s injury was unfortunate, Shafali said she saw her return as an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution.

“What happened with Pratika doesn’t feel good — no one wants to see that happen. But I believe God has sent me here to do something good,” she added.

Having featured in three T20 World Cups and one ODI World Cup, including finals and semi-finals against Australia, Shafali is no stranger to high-pressure games. However, she acknowledged that switching formats after playing domestic T20s will require quick adjustment.

“It’s not easy to switch formats so fast,” she said. “But I’ve had two really good practice sessions. I tried to attack the bowlers in my range and focus on my defence too. I’m happy with my touch — everything is working well.”

Team management has given Shafali full freedom to play her natural attacking game, something she says has boosted her confidence.

“The coach, captain, and Smriti [Mandhana] told me to just play my game and not panic,” Shafali said. “They’ve given me a lot of freedom — I’ll respect the good balls and hit the ones in my zone.”

After being dropped last year due to inconsistency, Shafali has rebuilt her form on the domestic circuit, leading Haryana to a quarter-final finish in the one-day competition and topping the run charts with 527 runs at a strike rate of 152.31.

Now, returning on the biggest stage, she is focused on keeping things simple against an unbeaten Australian side.

“I’ve played against Australia many times and know their bowlers well,” Shafali said. “If we don’t lose early wickets, the pressure shifts to them. The key is to stay calm, back our strengths, and not overcomplicate things.”

India face Australia in the semi-final at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday, with Shafali likely to reunite with Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order in front of a sold-out crowd.