Sachin is my role model: Shafali Verma

India’s women’s World Cup winner Shafali Verma on Sunday said she has faced a lot of struggles in the last year and worked “extremely hard” to improve her game, which culminated in a historic World Cup glory. Picked as a replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal, the 21-year-old Shafali was named player of the final for her 87 runs with the bat and 2/36 with the ball in the team’s 52-run win against South Africa. “The last one year was very tough for me. I faced a lot of struggles, but I kept working extremely hard and was rewarded by God for my effort,” Shafali told reporters after a felicitation programme here. Shafali was called in to the Indian squad on the eve of the semifinal against mighty Australia and while she could not fire in the last four clash, the Haryana girl shone in the title clash. “When I joined the Indian team ahead of the semifinal, I was determined to contribute to the World Cup victory. The final is always a big stage. Initially, I was a bit nervous, but I calmed myself, focused on my strategy, and executed it well. That helped me deliver an all-round performance,” Shafali said. After receiving a grand welcome upon here arrival in her hometown Rohtak, the swashbuckling opener urged girls to have self-belief and work hard, saying results will come. “They should always put in the hard work in whatever field they may choose and also have self-belief, and results will follow,” Shafali said. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side scripted a defining moment for Indian women’s cricket by winning its maiden global title — the 50-over World Cup — with victory over South Africa in the final in Navi Mumbai. Shafali, who considers batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as her role model, talked about her family’s support throughout to achieve her dreams. Replying to a question about the final, she said, “I was trying to stay calm and execute my plans and things went as per plan. “Th