Tendulkar’s pep talk sparks Shafali Verma’s defining World Cup innings

Shafali Verma’s fearless batting lit up the Women’s World Cup final in Navi Mumbai, but behind her 87-run match-winning knock stood a brief encounter with the legend who inspired her to play cricket — Sachin Tendulkar. Drafted into India’s squad only a week earlier after opener Pratika Rawal’s injury, Shafali turned her recall into redemption, smashing 87 off 63 balls to guide India to their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title with a 52-run win over South Africa on Sunday. “When I saw him (Tendulkar), it gave me an incredible boost,” Shafali said after the match. “I kept talking to him and he kept giving me confidence. He is the master of cricket, and we keep getting inspired just looking at him.” The 21-year-old’s resurgence was particularly striking given her recent struggles — she had been dropped from the ODI squad last year and scored only 10 runs in the semifinal against Australia. But in the biggest game of her career, she responded with maturity and fire, also taking two key wickets with the ball to earn the Player of the Match award. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur revealed it was instinct that led her to hand Shafali the ball. “It was a gut feeling,” she said. “She had shown confidence when we spoke to her, and I didn’t want to regret not trying. When she took back-to-back wickets, that was the turning point.” Shafali credited her teammates for keeping her grounded and focused. “I had confidence in myself — if I stayed calm, I could achieve everything,” she said. “The seniors told me to play my game, and when you get that clarity, that’s all you need.” For India, it was a night of catharsis. For Shafali, it was the moment she had long promised — a fearless young batter, once compared to Tendulkar for her stroke play, finally living up to the legend’s faith when it mattered most.