Australia will come hard at us, but I’ll back my strengths: Shafali Verma

3 months ago

Women’s World Cup 2025, IND vs AUS: In the pre-match press conference, Shafali Verma said that she'll play her natural game, knowing that Australia will come hard at India when these two teams meet on Thursday at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Transcript

00:00Hi everyone, ahead of the semi-final clash against Australia, we have Shafali Varma with us.

00:07We will take one question at a time and can you keep your phones in silence?

00:11Who would want to go first?

00:12Shafali, slightly diverse presenting that semi-final matchup,

00:16for a half of Cedar,

00:17for a year,

00:18for a year,

00:19for a year,

00:20for a year,

00:21for a year,

00:22for a year,

00:23for a year,

00:24for a year,

00:25for a year,

00:26for a year,

00:27for a year,

00:28for a year,

00:29for a year,

00:30for a year,

00:31for a year,

00:32for a year,

00:33for a year,

00:34and I was talking about semi-final matchup,

00:35and I was talking about semi-final matchup,

00:37and I think it depends on how much I have to be clear,

00:41and how much I have to be faithful,

00:43and how much I have to keep my confidence,

00:44so I think I have played semi-final matchup,

00:46and it is not something new for me.

00:48I will only say that I have to be calm,

00:51and believe in itself,

00:53so absolutely,

00:54I will do well,

00:55200%.

00:57Hi Shafali, first welcome back to the Indian team.

01:04In the beginning of the year, you said that you are working on your one-day batting,

01:09playing long innings.

01:11And now you are in that situation where you are playing T20 short format.

01:16So how much do you have to shift in terms of your gameplay?

01:20And what are you doing with yourself given that you come in this sort of a scenario?

01:26Yes, absolutely. I was playing T20.

01:28But as a batsman, it is not easy to switch so quickly.

01:33But today was my practice session and yesterday too.

01:36I have had a lot of work in that situation.

01:39I wanted to play the good baller, which is in my range.

01:43I wanted to hit it well.

01:46So there were a lot of long batting sessions in my last two days, today and yesterday.

01:51And it was very good because I wanted to touch wood.

01:57So I am really happy that I am in a good touch.

02:00So yeah, very good for me.

02:02Hi Shafali, congrats on the call-up and all the best.

02:05When did you know that you are joining the team?

02:09And what was the reaction? Family and Papa's reaction?

02:12Yeah, I knew two days ago when I was with my Haryana team.

02:18Absolutely what happened with Pratika.

02:20As a sports person, it doesn't feel good.

02:24And no one doesn't want to have any other sports person.

02:27But God has brought me here to do anything good.

02:31And absolutely, Papa and family are all very happy.

02:35And I am really happy that I am here in the team.

02:39I am here in the team.

02:40And this is very good.

02:42If I play, I will give my best.

02:46Hi Shafali.

02:47Hello.

02:48Congratulations.

02:49It was very good to see you here.

02:51If it was a little old thing,

02:53but when you dropped from the team,

02:55the consistency was an issue.

02:57We saw that the consistency in the domestics

03:00has improved very well.

03:02So now, when you are in the team,

03:04you are in the same situation.

03:06You have obviously talked to your captain, coach,

03:08and vice-captain.

03:09So what did you message from the team?

03:11What did you say to your role clarity?

03:13Because sometimes you are in such a moment,

03:16you probably take the pressure of yourself as a player.

03:19It is a very big game.

03:21So what did you message from the team,

03:23what did you say to your role clarity?

03:25Absolutely.

03:26When I joined the team,

03:27everyone was very welcoming.

03:28It was very good.

03:29And as many players,

03:32everyone had a boost up.

03:33which is a very good thing for me.

03:35And as many players,

03:37I had a coach,

03:38captain,

03:39and even Smriti,

03:40everyone told me that

03:41we have to play our game.

03:42There is no problem.

03:43We have to play our game.

03:44We don't have to panic.

03:45We don't have to panic.

03:46So yeah,

03:47if I get so much freedom,

03:48I will try to respect the ball.

03:50And again,

03:52I will kill my length.

03:54Of course,

03:55I will kill.

03:56So yeah,

03:57I got so much welcoming,

03:59everything I got.

04:00Hopefully,

04:01if I get a chance,

04:02I get a chance.

04:03So I will do well.

04:04Go well.

04:07Shifali,

04:08there are many youngsters in this team

04:10who will play their first knock-out match.

04:12What is their messaging for the team

04:14to not take the pressure

04:16of playing such a big match?

04:18I think,

04:19I think,

04:20as many of our teammates,

04:22everyone has played almost the whole world cup.

04:24And,

04:25there is so much experience.

04:26They just said,

04:28as much as simple as things,

04:30and we will back our strength,

04:32it will be better.

04:33And,

04:34now,

04:35everyone was very good.

04:36So,

04:37everyone is very good.

04:39In the sense,

04:40everyone will do good.

04:41everyone has a great freedom.

04:42It's a great team.

04:43It's a great team.

04:44Hopefully,

04:45we will get the best.

04:48Yes.

04:53Shifali,

04:54how do you assess

04:55the Australian bowling attack particularly?

04:57And,

04:58Australia knows that

04:59they always do good performance in big matches.

05:01So,

05:02how do you see it?

05:03I've played a lot of times.

05:04I've played a lot of times.

05:05I can't talk a lot of times.

05:06I can't say like that.

05:07I will assess.

05:08Then I will react.

05:09I've played a lot of years.

05:11And,

05:12all of the players know who to play.

05:13I will do this.

05:14I will back our strength.

05:16And,

05:17absolutely,

05:18they will come hard to us.

05:19And,

05:20we have prepared a lot.

05:21Everyone has been in touch.

05:22Hopefully,

05:24we will try to perform a lot of good.

05:28And,

05:29we will think good.

05:31So obviously, we will win.

05:38Hi, Shifali.

05:40Recha didn't play the last match for the injury.

05:43She didn't practice in practice today.

05:46So any update on Recha?

05:49Well, she is doing good.

05:50I am not the person to ask this question.

05:52But yeah, management will call about this thing.

05:56Shifali, when we talk about the match in Australia,

05:59the semi-funnels are different levels.

06:01Because they are performing well.

06:04So what is the ability of the team to counter?

06:07Because it is a batting, balling,

06:09it is a whole tournament.

06:11So what is your ability of the team to counter?

06:14And what is the ability of the team to counter?

06:17As I said, I played with Australia a lot.

06:22And I know that as a batting unit,

06:26if they don't give their wickets,

06:27they will panic.

06:28And as a team, if you say,

06:30we all have played with them a lot.

06:33So as a bowling unit,

06:35we will always think that

06:36in a good length,

06:37and as a batting unit,

06:38back their strength.

06:39The more simple things,

06:41the more good things,

06:43the more panic,

06:44the more good things.

06:45So I think that's what I said.

06:46We will back their strength.

06:48The more simple things.

06:52In Australia,

06:53the last knockout in the World Cup,

06:55India has not defeated in the 2017 semi-final.

06:58What do you think of your team?

07:00How much of the ability

07:01to see that performance

07:02will be repeated again?

07:05Absolutely.

07:06If you see our whole World Cup,

07:07everyone has tried to do well.

07:09In the semis,

07:11everyone knows.

07:12There is no chance to give 200%

07:14because it is a knockout.

07:16Everyone will try to give their best.

07:18And in Australia,

07:19all the players will have to give 200%

07:21to all the players.

07:22And that's why

07:23we all have prepared

07:24in the past few days.

07:26So hopefully,

07:27we will all do better.

07:28Last one.

07:33Shafali,

07:34any thoughts on

07:36if you would want to open

07:37tomorrow's game?

07:38I mean,

07:39what is your wish?

07:40Would you want to open

07:41the match tomorrow?

07:42Absolutely.

07:43This is the call of management.

07:44But,

07:45if I say that I am a person

07:46that I can play anywhere.

07:47I can play anywhere.

07:48It is not that

07:49in the opening

07:50or in the beach,

07:51I can play anywhere.

07:52I can play anywhere.

07:53Because,

07:54the confidence in me

07:55is very important

07:56to be in a sports person.

07:58So,

07:59this is the call of management.

08:00Wherever they will say,

08:01I am super ready for that.

08:03Shafali,

08:04just talk about

08:05mindset.

08:06Because,

08:07you were not part of this team

08:08from the start of this tournament.

08:09And,

08:10one of the journey is

08:11they started off well.

08:12Two wins.

08:13Then,

08:14one dip came in

08:15which there were three defeats.

08:16A bit of pressure.

08:17That was a crunch game

08:18in which I had to perform.

08:19You have come in

08:20with fresh mindset

08:21from the background.

08:22So,

08:23a bit of feeling

08:24that,

08:25I am coming without any baggage.

08:26There is nothing

08:27and I just have to pray freely.

08:28Is there anything

08:29comparatively feeling like that?

08:30Well,

08:31if you can see,

08:32you are playing for the country.

08:34And,

08:35if I play yesterday,

08:36then,

08:37I am 100%

08:38because,

08:39semis is very important

08:42for our country.

08:43So,

08:44I will not think of baggage

08:45that I will not think of.

08:46I will not think of it.

08:47If I play my best,

08:48I will not think of it.

08:49I will not know

08:50where I will go.

08:51So,

08:52whatever things are simple,

08:53it is better for me.

08:54Thank you guys.

Australia will come hard at us, but I’ll back my strengths: Shafali Verma

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