India opener Shafali Verma believes the team can draw from past experience as it heads into a vital clash against Bangladesh, with the Women in Blue needing to win both their remaining group games to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Speaking on the eve of the contest, Shafali said India are not treating the pressure as unfamiliar territory.
On India’s must-win situation: “We have been in this situation before”
India’s defeat to South Africa has left them with no room for error, but Shafali said the dressing room is leaning on lessons from a similar phase in the previous World Cup cycle.
“Harmanpreet told us this in the huddle yesterday, we have been in this situation before and we have come out of it,” Shafali said. “Tough situations are those that you have never faced in life. But this is a situation we have seen before and won from.”
She added: “We know we have to win both matches, but first our focus is Bangladesh. We will go game by game and try to give our best cricket tomorrow.”
On the South Africa defeat: “We didn’t execute in key moments”
Reflecting on the loss to South Africa, Shafali felt India were let down by their execution rather than solely by the final total.
“South Africa played a very good game. We did not execute well in key situations,” she said. “I will not say it was only about the total. We bowled well too, but they had a very good innings from Kappie, so credit to her.”
On how the team is handling the pressure: “We have to come together”
Shafali said the squad has consciously focused on staying in the present instead of looking too far ahead.
“When you have a bad day, of course the morale can be down, but the next day we all know we have to come together and motivate each other,” she said. “We are taking it day by day — today was about practice, tomorrow will be about the game.”
She also stressed the importance of collective trust. “Whether someone is playing or sitting out, we are all backing each other. The only thing in our minds is that we have to win.”
On her dismissal to Shabnim Ismail and preparing for what comes next
Asked about being dismissed by a sharp short ball from Shabnim Ismail in the previous game, Shafali said her approach is to return to preparation rather than dwell on the moment.
“I focus on my preparation — how I can prepare my shots at the nets and, if I come into that situation again, how I will tackle that ball,” she said. “For me, it is about preparation and going ball by ball.”
On her bowling role: “I am an all-rounder now”
One of India’s most eye-catching developments this tournament has been Shafali’s growing role with the ball, including in the powerplay. And the opener made it clear she has worked consciously on that side of her game.
“It is not like I have started bowling suddenly. I used to bowl in domestic cricket too,” she said. “I have visualised these situations — if I bowl in such moments for India, what I need to think about and how I need to execute.”
Then came her line of the day, delivered with a grin: “So I will say I am an all-rounder now.”
Shafali also credited her father for shaping that side of her cricket. “My father helped me a lot. He taught me batting, and because my brother was a leg-spinner, he would also ask me to bowl sometimes. Now he says, ‘Thank God you bowled then — you are bowling well today’.”
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