Shafali Verma Reveals Her Revival Secret: Accept Your Weaknesses

Verma was awarded the Player of the Match award for guiding India to a seven-wicket victory in the second T20I match against Sri Lanka, scoring an unbeaten knock of 69 off 34 deliveries. Shafali also reflected on the period of inconsistency and technical issues that had earlier cost her a place in the squad ahead of the World Cup final.

“Cricket always teaches you things. It’s important to accept your weaknesses. That’s the only way you can improve. The ball was holding a bit at the start, so I tried to play along the ground and take singles. They bowled well at the start. It was a good knockout," Shafali said after the second T20I against Sri Lanka at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

She also credited head coach Amol Muzumdar for guiding her approach, especially in conditions where the ball was not coming on freely. “The coach told me to play along the ground initially and then go for aerial shots. . I kept myself calm, tried to play along the ground, and the ball was coming on nicely. I know I can score runs if I play the ball on the ground,” she added.

Shafali made a dramatic return to the India squad for the ODI World Cup semifinals and final after Pratika Rawal suffered an injury and scored a match-winning half-century and claimed two wickets in the final against South Africa.

Earlier on Tuesday, India chose to bowl and were briefly tested by Sri Lanka's skipper Chamari Athapaththu. She attacked from the start and found the boundary regularly in the PowerPlay. Unlike the first T20I, where she got out cheaply, Athapaththu appeared to be in good form.

However, Sneh Rana's introduction changed the momentum. Replacing an unwell Deepti Sharma, Rana bowled with control and intelligence. She gave away just 11 runs in her four overs and dismissed Athapaththu, which slowed Sri Lanka’s progress.

Once Athapaththu left, Sri Lanka’s innings fell apart again. Harshitha Samarawickrama showed potential but received little support as the Indian spinners tightened their grip. Vaishnavi Sharma allowed a few runs but took key wickets, while Sree Charani recovered well from a rough series opener to claim two dismissals. Three run-outs further affected Sri Lanka, limiting them to a total that was unlikely to challenge India’s strong batting lineup.

India’s chase began with a small setback when Smriti Mandhana was out for 16, but Shafali quickly took charge. She punished any short or loose deliveries, confidently attacking both spin and pace. Inoka Ranaweera and Shashini Gimhani faced the brunt of her assault, while Chamari Athapaththu was hit for a 4, 6, and 4 in the last PowerPlay over. Jemimah Rodrigues provided excellent support, scoring quickly against the spinners as India cruised to victory in the 12th over.

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- IANS