Shafali Verma: “Everything starts with believing in yourself”

Imagine this—you are 21, at the most riveting turn yet in your career, with your idols in the stands and a packed stadium rooting for you. You win, everyone wins. You lose, and an entire country is crestfallen. Being a sportsperson, especially in the public eye, is not an easy thing—it’s a career built on skill, and sometimes the only difference between a good day and a bad one lies in the complexities of your mental state as soon as you hit the field. For Shafali Verma, the recent win for Team India in the Women’s World Cup ODI tournament is an exercise in exemplifying (and excelling in) all these facets of being a sportsperson—to reiterate, all at the age of 21.

At Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Sunday, November 2, where India won the cup against South Africa, Verma laid a strong foundation for the victory alongside vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, in a trailblazing 104-run partnership, while becoming the youngest player to hit half a century in an ODI World Cup final (and not just the women’s) with an exciting play that came with a strike rate of 111.54. She also broke cricketer Virender Sehwag’s record with her score in an ODI final—Sehwag is among her long-term inspirations.

Answering in Hindi, Verma’s chat with Cosmopolitan India over a video call is short, sweet, and succinct—aglow with a sincerity and softness that belies her aggression on the field. “I am very happy that I am able to be here, and it is all because of sheer hard work, cushioned with the support of my family and friends,” says Verma, who hails from Rohtak, Haryana. Her story is what cinematic scripts are made of, complete with her father cutting her hair and disguising her as a boy so she could train in the sport due to the lack of academies for women in their city. At 15, she became the youngest Indian debutant in the T20 category.

Now, Verma’s stellar performance in the finals is also being touted as a redemption story, considering she wasn’t chosen to play in the original team and was only called in as an injury replacement for cricketer Pratika Rawa. “When I was not named in the team, I felt broken as a player. But after that, I focused on how I could work on myself,” Verma admits, calling her re-entry into the team no less than a divine intervention. “God gave me the pay-off for the work I put in and sent me there. When I got the call, I was very happy and I just thought about how I could perform in these two matches—it was the only thing on my mind. Everyone was very welcoming and helped me a lot,” she adds.

While this is not Verma’s first brush with fame—considering her success at such a young age—it’s a moment that has offered her a new perspective on life and work, for which, she says, she feels immensely grateful. This includes JSW Sports, which represents her: “Thanks to the entire JSW family—everyone is nice and supportive. They always stand by me, and I’m really thankful to all of them.” While she recalls all the messages and well wishes that came her way after the win, what stood out was the fact that cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar saw her hit it out of the park (quite literally)—someone she has always looked up to. “We all met him before the finals and when I saw him, I felt more confident and wanted to do even better. He spoke very nicely with all of us and it was a great feeling to know that we won in front of him,” she says.

While the World Cup win has inspired unprecedented celebrations, governmental rewards, and directed renewed attention to the sport, it has also highlighted a singular fact—when women win in cricket or in a male-dominated sport, the country sits up and listens. Otherwise, the scenario continues to be vastly different. While societal and policy culture may both be to blame, Verma sees a positive future for women in the field: “Believe in yourself and keep working hard. If you do these two things, you will always be successful.”

Lead image: Getty Images 

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