A couple of days back, Shafali Verma was in Surat, turning out for Haryana in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. Now she is in Navi Mumbai, preparing for a World Cup semi-final against Australia after replacing the injured Pratika Rawal. The 21-year-old spoke to reporters on Wednesday, sounding relaxed and more than a little excited about the sudden call-up.
Key facts first. Rawal’s ankle problem ruled her out on Monday night. India’s selectors, keen to preserve the balance of a batting line-up that has relied heavily on Smriti Mandhana, turned to the most obvious like-for-like hitter. Shafali landed on Tuesday, trained twice, and is available for selection on Thursday.
“Playing a semi-final was not new for me,” she reminded everyone. “I was playing domestic cricket and was in good touch.” And, crucially for the team management, “I can play anywhere, not just as an opener or in the middle order.”
Those three sentences sum up why India have brought her back. Power at the top is handy, but flexibility is probably even more valuable when you have barely 24 hours to tweak a settled order.
The opener-turned-floater has already experienced three T20 World Cups and one 50-over campaign, including a final and a semi-final – both against the same Australian side she faces now. She did lose her place in both formats last year, mainly because the runs arrived in streaks rather than streams. Instead of brooding, she headed back to domestic cricket and peeled off 527 one-day runs at a strike rate of 152.31. Haryana reached the quarter-finals, she captained, and the noise around her form quietened.
Raw numbers make sense, but sometimes feeling does the talking. “I’ve been in such situations earlier, so it’s nothing new. I’ll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself. So absolutely, I’ll do well, 200%.”
Switching formats in 48 hours is less straightforward. The one-day game, especially against Australia, demands defensive skills as well as trademark lofted drives. Shafali spent Tuesday and Wednesday alternating between shadow forward-defence drills and letting the front foot fly.
“Absolutely, I was playing T20s, and as a batter, it’s not easy to switch formats so quickly,” she said. “But we had good practice sessions yesterday and today. I stayed calm and batted well. I tried to attack the bowlers who were in my range.”
Coaching staff liked what they saw. Batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar, speaking informally on the boundary, felt Shafali’s bat speed “adds something we don’t always have outside Mandhana”. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, asked whether she will slot in straightaway, kept her cards close: “Team combination matters. We’ll decide on the morning.” That tallies with Shafali’s own acceptance: “That’s a management call… Wherever the management wants me to play, I’m super ready.”
One lingering query is fielding. Rawal’s athleticism at point has been important all tournament. Shafali is no slouch but hasn’t patrolled the ring much recently. For what it is worth, she did thirty minutes of high-catch work under lights and looked comfortable.
India’s camp has also had to cope with the emotional side of Rawal’s setback. “Of course, what happened with Pratika – as a sportsperson, seeing that doesn’t feel good,” Shafali said. “No one wants any player to go through such an injury. But I believe God has sent me here to do something good.”
Australia will start favourites, as usual, yet India’s batting order now owns another gear. If the selectors decide to use it, Thursday could hinge on how quickly Shafali settles into fifty-over rhythm. Recent history shows she can flick that switch; recent omission reminds us consistency is still the bigger challenge.
Whatever happens, her return adds a touch of intrigue without the hype. Sometimes that’s enough to tilt a semi-final.
