Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 3 (ANI): Shafali Verma, player of the match in the ICC Women’s World Cup Final 2025, revealed that watching Sachin Tendulkar in the stadium during the match gave her an incredible boost.
Shafali Verma, Aged 21y 279d, is the youngest to win the Player of the Match award in the semi-final or final of an ODI World Cup – Men’s or Women’s.
India finally broke their world title drought, securing their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title by beating first-time finalists South Africa by 52 runs in a clinical display at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
Shafali’s brilliant 87, followed by two crucial wickets, helped India secure a World Cup title that could well boost the women’s cricket scene in the coming years.
“I said at the start that God has sent me here to do something nice, and that reflected today. Very happy that we won, and I cannot express it in words. It was difficult, but I had confidence in myself – that if I could stay calm, I could achieve everything. My parents, my friends, my brother, and everyone supported me and helped me understand how to play. It was very important for my team and myself, and I just wanted to make my team win. My mind was clear and I worked on my plans. So happy that I could execute and Smriti di and Harman di, everyone was supporting me. They (seniors) asked me just to play my own game, and when you get that clarity, that is all you need. It is a very memorable moment. When I saw him (Sachin Tendulkar), it gave me an incredible boost. I keep talking to him, and he keeps giving me confidence. He is the master of cricket, and we keep getting inspired just looking at him,” Shafali Verma said after the match.
With her 87 innings, Verma scripts history as she slams the highest score in the Women’s World Cup final for the Indian team, surpassing Punam Raut’s 86 in the 2017 final against England.
India’s opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Verma gave the hosts a dream start. The duo mixed caution with aggression, capitalising on loose deliveries while ensuring steady scoring. The partnership reached fifty in just 6.3 overs, and by the end of the first ten overs, India were comfortably placed at 64/0. The openers continued to dominate the proceedings, adding 104 runs before Mandhana was dismissed for 45 by Chloe Tryon. (ANI)
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