Overview
- India secured their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title after a final in which Shafali Verma produced a match-winning all-round display, scoring 87 and taking 2/36.
- Jemimah Rodrigues said batting legend Sachin Tendulkar phoned her coach to urge her to ‘start from zero’ after her 127 not out in the semifinal so she could reset for the final.
- Shafali said a motivational voice note from her father gave her extra drive before the final and captain Harmanpreet Kaur explained she chose to bowl Shafali because she felt it was ‘her day’ as a key partnership began to build.
- The team is carrying that psychological approach into the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which opens with India facing Pakistan in Birmingham on June 12.
- Observers say the players’ focus on short mental resets, elder-statesman advice, and flexible tactics could help India adapt to the faster T20 format and England’s conditions, with the tournament final scheduled for Lord’s on July 5.