‘We've been in this situation before’ - Shafali Verma backs India to bounce back ahead of Bangladesh clash

India opener Shafali Verma remains hopeful ahead of the crucial match against Bangladesh, despite India's setback against South Africa putting their tournament qualification hopes in a precarious position.

Shafali revealed that captain Harmanpreet Kaur reminded the team that they have faced similar situations before and must accept the circumstances, stay positive, and move forward. She emphasised the importance of setting aside past results, focusing on preparation, and maintaining strong communication among the players as India look to keep their campaign alive.

"Yesterday, in the huddle, Harman di told us that it's not like we've never been in this situation before. We came into this same situation last year and got out of it. So I think a tough situation is one that has never come in your life before. We had accepted this situation in ODIs and we won. So we know that now we have to win these two matches. For that, what preparation will we need, how we will have to talk to each other as players,” said Shafali as quoted by Cricbuzz.

One noticeable change in the Indian camp since the defeat to South Africa has been the upbeat atmosphere during training sessions. The players have appeared far more energetic and vocal, reflecting a positive mindset despite the pressure surrounding their qualification prospects.

On Tuesday, the squad participated in team-bonding activities, while Wednesday's net session was filled with constant encouragement and banter. Bowlers cheered on their fellow pacers, and even the batters facing deliveries in the nets received enthusiastic support from teammates.

"Whenever we have a bad day as a team, we know that every player's morale will be down. But the next day, we all know we have to come together, unite and motivate each other. So yesterday in the huddle, we just said: from hereon, everyone knows that both are crucial games. But we'll back each other, we'll give our best in these two days of preparation,” said Shafali.

"We'll go day by day. Like today is our practice, so today we'll only think about practice; then we'll see tomorrow about the game, so it's just a day-by-day process, we think a lot about staying in the present. And everyone is very mature. Everyone has played a lot of cricket and has played in front of so many people. So I don't think they'll let that situation happen again in this World Cup. We'll just give our best in this World Cup,” she added.