India Comeback Star Reveals Sachin Tendulkar Inspiration: "Important To Respect..."

NDTV

2 days ago

The returning Shafali Verma says watching videos of Sachin Tendulkar's batting in Test cricket, when she was not in the scheme of things, helped her understand the importance of playing each ball on merit. Closely observing Tendulkar's knocks played a part as she got down to plot her comeback into the Indian women's team after being dropped last year due to poor form. "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," Shafali told BCCI Video ahead of the white-ball series opener against England in Nottingham.
"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." Excellent performance in domestic cricket and Women's Premier League (WPL) paved the way for her comeback.
The 21-year-old said that that comebacks are never easy and it became all the more tough after her father suffered a heart-attack just 10 days before the team selection last year.
Shafali got dropped for the three-match ODI series against Australia in November after a poor run of form.
"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.
"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.
"If a player has savoured good days, he or she should also be ready for bad days. One should be ready to digest both, and only then you can become a star," said Shafali, who last played a T20I during the Women's T20 World Cup in 2024.
When she was not in the national team, Shafali made up her mind not to miss any opportunity to score runs in domestic cricket.
"I though wherever I get an opportunity, I will only think about scoring runs. I am not going to think about the future. And then WPL came. I said to myself that I will remain only in the present and forget about the future. Being in the present was the biggest motivation for me.
"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."