Before India’s match against Australia in the semi-finals in Navi Mumbai, Shafali Verma—who wasn’t even included in the initial roster for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025—was called in as an injury substitute for opener Pratika Rawal. The celebrity opener stated that she is prepared to give it her best in the knockout match and that her comeback was a part of God’s destiny.
India’s plans to get to the semi-finals were severely hampered by Rawal’s injury. The reliable opener was eliminated from the competition after spraining her ankle while fielding in the last group-stage match against Bangladesh. With an average of above 50 and a game-winning century against New Zealand, Rawal has been one of India’s most reliable players.
But for Shafali Verma, who was leading Haryana in the National Women’s T20 Championship at the time of her emergency call for international duty, the setback created an opportunity.
The young opener has put a lot of effort into improving her game after being dropped from India’s ODI squad last year due to poor form. After scoring 527 runs at an average of 75 in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, she had a stellar WPL 2025 season with the Delhi Capitals, scoring over 300 runs. Her domestic performances attracted a lot of attention. She also scored important half-centuries on India A’s tours of Australia and New Zealand. She acknowledged during the pre-game press conference that switching from Twenty20 to 50-over cricket hasn’t been simple, but she feels ready.
As a sportsperson, what transpired with Pratika wasn’t good. Nobody wants a sportsman to go hurt like that.
However, God has placed me here to accomplish something constructive,” Shafali Verma remarked.
India will benefit from her experience with Mandhana as an opening partner. Mandhana averaged over 50 when batting with Shafali Verma, and the two last opened together in 2024. The opener is expected to provide a wealth of experience to this match, even though he has averaged 23 in 29 ODI appearances. She also disclosed that she is confident in her ability to handle Australia’s tough approach because she fully knows it.
“I was playing T20s, but switching is difficult for a hitter like myself. However, we practiced both yesterday (Tuesday) and today. I made an effort to remain composed while batting. I made an effort to hit the balls that were within my range and to play good balls down the ground. I felt fantastic knowing that I accomplished everything I set out to do throughout my lengthy batting sessions today and tomorrow,” Shafali Verma continued.
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