India's triumphant World Cup campaign has left Shafali Verma hungry for more silverware, with the 21-year-old opening batter determined to make winning a habit.
Called into the squad to replace the injured Pratika Rawal before the knockout stages, Verma seized her opportunity with 87 runs and two wickets in the final to be named player of the match in India's 52-run win over South Africa this month.
"This is just the beginning. We have to make this a habit," Verma told Reuters.
The World Cup winners' medal is the latest addition to Verma's trophy cabinet, which also includes the 2023 Under-19 World Cup, the 2022 Asia Cup, the 2022 Asian Games gold medal and the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver.
Verma has come close in the premier Twenty20 competition with the Delhi Capitals, reaching the final three times under former captain Meg Lanning but falling short on each occasion.
Retained by Delhi for next season alongside seasoned campaigners Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Jemimah Rodrigues and Niki Prasad, Verma is feeling confident.
"In the World Cup final, Radha (Yadav), Arundhati (Reddy), Jemi (Jemimah) and I were present from the Delhi Capitals side and we were talking about how we were able to at least win one final, because we lost the WPL final in the last three years," she added.
"I hope we will break that losing streak now."
MENTAL STRENGTH
Verma, born in the north Indian state of Haryana and backed by JSW Sports, credited mental conditioning for her World Cup breakthrough.
"For the last year, when I was not with the ODI team, I was working a lot on my mental health," Verma said.
Although success in domestic T20 cricket is the immediate goal, Verma's long-term priority is test cricket, in which she made a double century against South Africa last year.
"T20 is close to me but a player stands out when they do well in test cricket. So, I would really want to better my records in the red-ball format," she said.
Verma is very happy to see more cricket academies for girls opening up in her home town.
"I am hoping that no more girls have to cut their hair (short) like me and play with the boys," she said.
