Shafali Verma emphasized that the sports psychologist played a crucial role in enhancing the team’s performance during the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 by focusing on breathing techniques and mental resilience. These skills were instrumental in helping players maintain their composure and confidence during high-pressure situations throughout the matches. Verma noted that the emphasis on mental toughness significantly contributed to their overall readiness, allowing the team to perform at its best when it mattered most.
Shafali Verma Highlights Psychologist’s Impact on Mental Resilience:
Since making her international debut at just 15 in 2019, Shafali Verma has made a remarkable impact on the Indian women’s team. Known for her aggressive batting style and powerful hitting, the Rohtak opener has consistently entertained fans with her explosive performances, setting herself apart from other players in the squad.
By 2021, Shafali Verma made history as the youngest Indian cricketer, regardless of gender, to compete in all three formats internationally. However, like many athletes, she faced challenges; bowlers exploited weaknesses in her technique with targeted short deliveries, leading to inconsistent performances during a period when her batting fluctuated significantly.
Now, five years later and preparing for her third T20 World Cup, Shafali reflects on her evolution since she captivated audiences in the 2020 tournament with her explosive batting. She shares insights into the changes she has undergone both as a player and a person during this transformative period.
She said, “ In 2020, I used to hit on every ball and then it clicked at the start. But then, after some time, there is video analysis starting on your game and they start to see your whole game plan. So, they slowly start to realise what are the strengths and weaknesses of Shafali. I didn’t do that well in 2023, but I got to learn a lot as I went through bad patches and realised the importance of mentality in cricket in last three-four years. So, whatever I learnt in those years, I am implementing all those learnings in 2024.”
She added, “ I have changed a lot mentally, as initially the mindset would be to go out and hit on every ball. But now I feel like I can wait for one-two balls and then play my shots. When your game plan gets better mentally, then your consistency increases.”
Shafali Highlights Adaptability and Calmness as Keys to Success:
Shafali’s prior experience in the UAE dates back to the 2020 Women’s T20 Challenge, where her team, Velocity, fell short of reaching the finals. With the slower pitch conditions expected in the UAE, she emphasizes the importance of adaptability and maintaining composure, suggesting that waiting a moment longer before playing her shots could enhance her performance in Dubai and Sharjah.
The Women’s T20 Challenge significantly raised Shafali’s profile, leading to the creation of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which provides more opportunities for domestic players to compete alongside international talent. Opening the batting for her team and learning from Australia’s five-time World Cup-winning captain Meg Lanning at the Delhi Capitals has been a major source of inspiration for her.
She further said, “ The foreign players teach us a lot of things, like Meg is so very calm. I have learnt a lot from her in the first two seasons, and I am really keen to be under her again for the third season.”
Since 2021, Shafali has opted out of participating in the WBBL or The Hundred to focus on her fitness and mental strength. Her experiences in overseas leagues highlighted the critical role of fitness for a sustainable career. Known for her explosive batting style, she famously scored 205 runs off 197 balls in the Chennai Test against South Africa, setting the record for the fastest double-century in women’s Tests.
Her evolved approach of establishing herself before unleashing an aggressive scoring spree was evident in her record-setting double century in Chennai. This shift in mentality allowed her to blend stability with explosive batting, leading to her impressive achievement. She said, “ After I got my hundred, I had it in my mind to play a long innings and not leave it here, because I knew about the bad patches I had and how much I struggled through it. Plus, it’s very rare to play such a long innings.
She added, “ But that day, everything was going so well, as the plan was to take it as long as possible. I was very happy with that innings and the record too. Things like power-hitting skills are something which we learn as kids in childhood, and I have worked on it for a long time. Now it has become very natural for me. But it’s not like that with it becoming very natural to me that I will stop working hard on it. I still work hard on that aspect every week and it becomes very important to hone it.”
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Shafali Reflects on Adapting to Cricket’s Format Challenges:
Experiencing the fluctuations of international cricket has taught Shafali the importance of quickly adapting her mindset when transitioning between formats. She acknowledges that this adjustment becomes increasingly challenging, particularly during dry spells when scoring opportunities are limited, making mental resilience crucial to her performance.
She said, “ In T20, the requirement is that you have to hit bad balls out of the ground, while playing Test cricket, more calmness is needed. In ODIs, you need both calmness and hitting the bad balls for boundaries. So, whenever there is a format change, I try to switch mentally quickly, as we have T20Is, then ODIs and Tests, which makes it very difficult.”
She further said, “ Sometimes when you make a switch, and then you struggle to get runs, then it becomes very challenging. It is very easy to say, but when bad patches are there, it becomes very difficult to make a switch. In Tests, at times, you have to sometimes stop the balls despite them being in my strength areas. It becomes very difficult, but you have to adapt and score well to make runs for the team.”
India’s struggle to navigate critical moments in major women’s cricket tournaments has been a significant hurdle, exemplified by their semi-final loss to Australia in the 2023 T20 World Cup and the 2022 Commonwealth Games final. Shafali openly acknowledges these challenges, emphasizing the team’s commitment to perform at their best in every match.
A significant factor in addressing mental challenges has been the involvement of a sports psychologist during the Indian team’s training camps at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Shafali mentioned that these sessions emphasized breathing techniques and mental resilience, helping players grasp how to elevate their game, especially in challenging moments.
Under head coach Amol Muzumdar, there has been a strong focus on improving fielding, an area where India has seen inconsistent performances. Shafali expressed confidence in the team’s efforts to turn this weakness into a strength, hoping the fielding unit will excel during the World Cup.
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