Shafali Verma’s comeback: How watching videos of Tendulkar helped the India opener stay motivated
Back into the India set-up after a gap of seven months, opener Shafali Verma will be raring to go when the India women play England women in the first of a five-T20I series on Saturday at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
“Whenever you make a comeback you encounter tough situations, but when you are back in the team environment, it is a very good feeling. I am very happy that I could make a comeback,” Shafali said in a video posted by BCCI.
The last time she played in a T20 International was during last year’s T20 World Cup. Since then, the 21-year-old has remained motivated by binging on Sachin Tendulkar’s videos.
“Earlier I used to think of scoring a four or a six off every ball, but then I realised that it’s important to give respect to a good ball. I saw Sachin (Tendulkar) sir’s Test innings and got a lot of motivation from that,” she revealed.
“It reminded me of my childhood days when I used to not even miss a single game of his. I covered almost every match again. Watching that, I learned that the only way to build a good innings is by respecting the good deliveries,” she added.
Last December, Shafali was dropped from the India squad ahead of the tour of Australia — a time that also coincided with a difficult personal phase, as her father had suffered a heart attack.
“Just 10 days before my selection (for the series against Australia), my dad suffered a heart-attack. That was a very tough situation for me and after that I did not get selected in the team. I did not know what was happening.
“I worked on my fitness for 20-25 days. I picked up the bat after 20-25 days and I felt very good. That gave me a different kind of energy, a different feeling. Time teaches you a lot of things. I will do my best and leave the rest to destiny.”
With time, her father’s condition also improved and he was able to help Shafali out with her training.
“After my dad recovered, he made me work a lot on my fitness before the domestic season. It was an up-down period for me, and I think it’s important to face such situations as only then you can become a strong person.” Shafali added that the time away from the national side taught her the value of cherishing the good moments.
Shafali was the fourth highest run-getter in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) this year, behind Nat Sciver-Brunt, Ellyse Perry and Hayley Matthews, and the highest run-scorer among Indians.
“When my name came for the T20 series against England, my dad said ‘only focus on your work, and leave the rest to destiny’.
“I think, this is the time to win the series in England. I’ve played here before so I know the factors (that influence the game) well. Getting the jersey back after a long time is a moment to cherish.”
